Part 7
Now, when all this has been completed, the loving soul goes to the Holy Ghost, Which proceeds both from the Father and the Son, and submits itself to Him, uniting itself so completely with Him, that it is exalted above all created things, and rises above faith, hope and love in God. It is united with this love, far above all gifts in the Abyss of His Uncreatedness, so deeply and so closely, that but few created beings can attain to it by the understanding. For the union and the freedom which exist are incomprehensible to all creatures; and thus man attains a little of the Humanity of Christ, if we may so speak, and is not ashamed, but has fellowship and union with Christ; so that, when he desires to ask anything of the Father, he takes Christ with him to pray the Father. This takes place especially in the Blessed Sacrament; and thus they offer themselves together to the Eternal Father, in the same power and fruitfulness of the Holy Church, in which Christ offered Himself upon the Cross saying: "Into Your Hands I commend My Spirit." Then the man says
again in different love: "O Lord, be merciful to me, as Your Father was merciful to You, and help me to pray that the Will of the Holy Trinity may be done in me, according to the measure of my miserable imperfections, as perfectly as it was done in You; and let me be one with You in the fear of the Holy Church. O Lord, you have suffered once, and have redeemed the world; you can not therefore suffer any more; but I desire to suffer in Your place. Therefore do not spare me, as Your Father did not spare You; for my heart is ready for all that may seem good to You in time and in eternity. O Lord, you know how I can most praiseworthily thank You and be helpful to all men. Therefore, O Lord, command me." Thus we trust all to God, that all shall be to the glory of God; but, before his soul is able to offer itself up, it must travel by many an unknown, painful and desert way.
God comes to those who have passed along these two ways, and leads in the loving soul Himself and instructs it in the third way of love; and thus it becomes truly united with God; of which something has already been said. Alas! alas! that so few men are truly spiritual. This arises from the fact that men will not walk in this way and others like it, and therefore they are not fruitful before all men. a man who wished thus to devote himself to the commands of love ought to be more fruitful and more useful than ten other men who also wished to serve God, but in unguarded outbursts of impatience; not in simplicity, but in outward active service; not in contemplative love, as has been said.
It is thus that men come from the sleep of darkness into the True Light. For now fresh grace is offered to us; and, if we do not lay hold of it, it will flee from us and vanish away, how we shall not know. Therefore let us all unite in calling upon God for real simplicity and humility, that from the bottom of our hearts we may humble and despise ourselves, and that we may look upon ourselves as the most despised, the most rejected and the most unworthy of men to be found in this world; so that all who see us will shake their heads at us and mock us, and we are so unworthy that all creatures will lift themselves up against us. Thus we may truly learn to die to our own wills, and also learn to keep ourselves free from self, both outwardly and inwardly, and learn further to offer up ourselves to the glory of God, doing the Will of God, not drawing back again, or choosing
for ourselves, either in time or eternity. That we may do thus, not to please ourselves, but from the desire to be well-pleasing to God, as I have attempted to show, may God grant. Amen.
SERMON XXX; On the Feast of Martyrs
Of the two kinds of suffering; in a dying and spiritual life, in true resignation. How God points out the way to His Friends, and teaches them to be truly resigned, in the highest sense; after the Example set them by Christ the Lord, Who has tasted this cup. Not only the twelve Apostles and Martyrs have, like Him, drunk of this cup, but all truly resigned men, of whom the Church of Christ sings: "They have drunk the cup of the Lord and have become the Friends of God."
"They have drunk of the Lord's chalice and have become the Friends of God."
We celebrate to-day the Feast of the Holy Martyrs, whom God, the Heavenly Father, has vouchsafed to endow with the especial honour of being formed in the Likeness of His Only begotten Son, by the bitterness and pain of the precious and beautiful cup of which they have drunk, like the Son of God; which means that they have willingly suffered martyrdom for the confession of His Name. It is their peculiar honour that, by grace, they have been able to attain to the dignity to which He was exalted by the Cup of bitter suffering, and by the Death which He suffered for us and for all men. Therefore, we sing of those fearless knights and dearest Friends of God, that they have drunk the cup of the Lord, and have become the Friends of God.
Now mark, dear children, that, when we speak of martyrs there are two kinds of martyrdom. Martyrs outwardly by the sword, and martyrs inwardly by dying love. We read of St Martin, that he was not robbed of the honour of a martyr although he was not taken hence by the sword. Now, you must notice here that we can experience the Suffering of God, and test it, by worthy contrition in a dying life; and can thus become the Friends of God. He who desires this must submit to suffering - but suffering takes place in two ways.
The first kind of suffering, in a dying life, is external, when men struggle against their pleasure-loving, sinful life; of whom St Paul says: "They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh; with the vices and concupiscences."
The second kind of suffering consists of spiritual perplexity, barrenness, or the deprivation of visible grace. Here man is often most at a loss, and he is thus sometimes driven to turn all the more to God. Then some men think all is lost, if they do not posses wisdom, understanding and keen insight; if they are not greatly tempted and are not full of fervour. It is true that this is all very necessary for the beginner, but not for those who long for the noblest virtue, love; but it is accounted of little value by the others. It is true, indeed, that it is a good preparation for the next stage; but in itself it is of little value. Very few can be found who truly love. All want to follow Christ in sweetness; and, when they can taste nothing sweet, and are drawn on by wounded love, they will not follow God in any other way. Now, when God sees that by sweetness only, and in no other way, can He lead them, He entices them on by wounded love, and then by imprisoned love, so that they cannot escape Him. After this they come to burning love, and they become so strong that all things comfort them, and they are ready, for the glory of God, to cast themselves into any suffering or sorrow, which God may see fit to inflict on them. Then they offer themselves up in the secret Abyss of the Godhead, and say in full confidence: "O Lord, if you will preserve or condemn us; you are all powerful, Your Will be done in us." Now, when a man arrives at this, he has gained what he sought; and it is the same to God, by which road he has arrived at it, and in what way.
God freely pours forth His gifts, that He may draw all souls to Himself; and supplies us so bountifully with His Grace that we may offer up our souls to Him, in true resignation, without any hesitation or demur. Now when, as we have said before, God gives great grace to a soul, and tempts it with sweetness, He desires to draw it away from self. When this has taken place, and He has then drawn the soul away from sweetness to barrenness, He then places it in a higher grade. For He will take away from it again all that He ever gave it, and allows the man to be poor and distressed, so that he may begin to learn to be resigned, and to rest in
nothing save in God only.
There are two ways by which we may attain to the true Love of God: The first is delight in the Grace of God. It is pleasant to man to carry out good practices; and God allows it, so that casual lusts may be all the more speedily extinguished in him. The man is ready to sell himself for love; that is, he feels such keen contempt for all temporal pleasures, which he no longer heeds because of his great love, that all who see him marvel. Thus we read of many Saints, that they so speedily withdrew from the joys of the world and all its delights, and turned their backs on all so bravely, that all men wondered. This is done undoubtedly by the Holy Ghost, in His mighty Love, which is as strong as death.
The second way is by endurance and suffering; and, as we have already said, in this way man is robbed of all spiritual comfort. It is thus that the spiritual strength of martyrs is brought forth in the barrenness and dryness of their meditations and fervour; and, although these spiritual martyrs are filled with many sorrows, yet they love God and long for true virtue as much as the others. Such men are much troubled in this life, so that they do not know which way to turn because of their affliction. They rest, however, on faith, hope and love, alone, in great darkness; for they will not sin whatever befalls them, because at all times they bear about with them a clean and humble heart; while they are much afflicted by seeing the grace enjoyed by other men, always imagining that it is their own fault that they have not the same grace, and that they do not strive enough to gain it. However, when they seek it more diligently, they only become more and more barren and hard within, like stone, and sometimes they lose all patience, and become all the more inconsolable and miserable. Then they fear that they are jealous of the grace given to others, or envy them; and thus they add to their sufferings, so that, with all these troubles or others like them, they weary themselves so much that they do not know what to do. They would not willingly be faithless to God in virtue, while they do not know how to gain it; or they imagine that they will make God angry with their impatience, despair or moroseness; and it cuts them to the heart. They hate all sin, because sin is displeasing and abhorrent to God; and they know his so well that they would not willingly anger God. At last they make up their minds to be
patient, although it is hard to them; and they suffer and wait till God sends relief, for they see that they can make no progress. Thus God teaches them to be resigned and to submit, leaving all things in His hands; and thus they become like the others, who flourish in more grace; while in one sense they are much nobler; for, in this grade, men are more like Christ, whose Life was full of suffering.
These spiritual martyrs are the poorest in their own esteem, but, in the sight of God, they are the richest; according to their own ideas they are the farthest off from God, and yet they are the nearest. They imagine that of all they are the castaways, and yet they are the very elect. According to their own feelings they are the most unfaithful to God; though they are the most faithful and the most earnest in furthering His glory, and in preventing His dishonour; for it is for this that they suffer. They find that they are attacked by many temptations on account of their poverty, to which they will not consent; but these cause them greater suffering than dying a natural death, and, especially if in any way, as they imagine, they have been overcome. They are anxious to overcome their infirmities, and to practice virtue, and they cannot do it. This and such-like things cause them, at times, great inner suffering and trouble, as though they were suffering pains of hell; but all is the result of the great faithfulness and love that they bear to God in their hearts, though they are not conscious of it themselves. They think themselves of all men the most wicked in all the world, while they are the purest in the sight of God. They often anger God thereby, because they cause themselves so much sorrow, so that God sometimes allows them to fall into impatience, and other infirmities, which are not in accordance with pure love, and to which they would never have given way, had they been truly resigned in all things; for then they would have been at peace and would have advanced more quickly than other men. They thus rob themselves by their despondency and immoderate sadness. This arises from their knowledge of the real fruit which proceeds from thence or from their self-surrender, so that they are not content to suffer; or it seems so long for them to suffer to the end; but they should know that they only prolong their suffering and make it all the harder. Thus they also rob themselves of the real fruit which might be quickly produced, if only they would suffer innocently and willingly, and resign themselves in love. The more simply they do this, the more nobly
will they gain it, and the more nobly will they be transformed. For, truly, if man walks uprightly, after the dark night a bright light will arise, which will lighten up all his heart with Eternal Truth. Then in his own heart, and in the sight of God, but not in the sight of the world, he will be sure that he can attain to the highest and purest Love, in which a man loses and forsakes himself, and all that is his, for the sake of God, that none can disturb or destroy his peace. God rests in him with all His elect, and there will and anger are lost. God help us that all this may take place in us.
Further, we must remember this about salvation: "O, my soul, meditate and meditate, again and again, how great and inexpressible the joy, the blessedness, the glory and the honour will be of those who will see clearly, and face to face the joyful and loving Face of God. How they will enjoy the best and highest blessing, even God Himself; for in Him, and in Him alone, are all pleasures, power, joy and all that is most beautiful." They will possess all in God; all that is good and to be desired, in safety and eternal joy, so that they will be transformed into God, never to be separated from Him again. Oh! how surpassingly great the joy will be, with which they will see the Holy Trinity, Mary, the Mother of Christ; our dear Lord, all the hosts of Angels in their orders; all the Patriarchs and Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors and Virgins, with all the Saints, who are so united, that, were it possible, the foremost and greatest Saint in heaven would willingly share his joy with the least of all Saints, while the least of all the Saints would not grudge him the joy that he shares with his own. Neither can we imagine or describe the overwhelming Love of God, which will be kindled in them: Oh! how foolish those men are, who, for a little carnal delight, and for temporal goods and honour, can so far forget, lose and drive away eternal salvation. Therefore, recollect yourself, O my soul, earnestly and diligently, while your day of grace is not yet over; do good works, that you may not lose your eternal salvation. Set to work, lose no time to perfect yourself in virtue; let nothing disconcert you, but work faithfully in this short life to attain eternal blessings and eternal joy. Nothing in this world should be so dear to you that for the sake of it you would be ready to lose eternal glory and joy. you must mark diligently how all suffering, sorrow, adversity and misery in this world, are not to be compared with the joy of eternal life. In imagination you must place before you, as your example, all the dear
Saints who have entered in, because of their good and righteous lives, that you may follow them, and that with them you may be a partaker of the exceeding great reward. Oh my soul, meditate on the great honour, joy and dignity in the Heavenly City of Jerusalem, on all the dear Saints who are assembled there, and who found a safe path by which they passed over from this transient vale of sorrow to eternal life.
Further, the Lord tells us in the Gospel that there are five things which faithful men must do. First, they must cast out the devil in the Name of Jesus; all men can do this who confess their sins with true penitence and sorrow. Secondly, they must speak with new tongues. All do this who give up sinful useless talk, and who only use good words, such as are to be found in the Word of God, the Holy Gospels and in fervent prayers; who rebuke sinners and teach the foolish. The third is that they tread on serpents without being harmed. This is done by those who resist and diligently root out all evil thoughts. The fourth sign is that they can eat and drink poison without harm. This is done by all who suffer contempt and persecution for righteousness' sake. Those who are sorrowful and despised, and yet are patient, cannot be hurt by the poison of persecution. The fifth and last sign is, that the truly faithful lay their hands on the sick and they recover. All men do this, who from lovingkindness freely forgive their enemies all that they ever wrought against them, and who also give alms to the poor and needy. We may truly say of all men who show these five signs of the Holy Gospel, that they are truly faithful men and will be received by Christ into eternal life. May God help us all thereto. Amen.
SERMON XXXI; On a Holy Martyr's Day
Of three roots of spiritual temptation by which holy men are secretly assailed; spiritual unchastity, covetousness and pride.
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation."
All our life, says Job, so long as we are upon earth, is full of struggle and temptation, insomuch that this life is not called a life by the Saints, but a temptation. When one temptation is over, straightway others are
awaiting us; and the cause is that our Lord will have us to go and bring forth fruit; and the fruit is to walk in the ways of God and go forward; for the fruit consists in the very overcoming of temptation, from which we may draw out a hidden spiritual sweetness, as the bees suck honey from the thorn bushes as well as from all other flowers. He who has not yet been tempted knows nothing, nor lives as yet, say the wise man Solomon and the holy teacher St Bernard. We find more than t thousand testimonies in Scripture to the great profit of temptation; for it is the special sign of the Love of God towards a man for him to be tempted and yet kept from falling; for thus he must and shall of a certainty receive the crown, like the Martyr whose death the Christian Church commemorates this day, singing of him that he is blessed because he has endured temptation, and has been tried and proved therein, that he might receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.
Now observe, dear children, that there are two kinds of temptation. The one is carnal, and has its sphere in the kingdom of sense in this present life, as when a man is tempted through his outward senses to seek his happiness in other men, be they friends or relations or any others, or to undue fondness for the outward show of life, such as dress, jewels, books, instruments, a pleasant abode, and other transitory creatures; and wilfully cleaves there to with manifold affections, and they stick to him like burrs. At times our outward senses are left in peace, and are quite of all assaults; yet is the man strangely assaulted inwardly in his flesh and blood by unseemly thoughts; but, however impure may be these temptations, and however horrible they may look, they cannot of themselves defile a man's purity. St Gregory says: "Temptations do not defile a man except through his own slackness and want of diligence in turning aside from them."
The other sort of temptation is inward and spiritual, and has its seat in the realm of the intellect. The workings of the Spirit and of nature are so mingled together and interwoven as long as we are in this present life, that all our inward exercises and converse with God are carried on at the same time with all the motions and workings of nature. Moreover, our Lord has so ordained it for our good, that the evil angel, Satan, has power to transform himself before the inward eye of the mind into an angel of
light; and he does it most of all at those times when a man gathers up all his powers to enter into communion with God. Observe, dear children, that St John divides sin into three kings, when he says all that is of the world is "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." As these three sins that reign in the world exist together in the flesh, so do they also reign inwardly in the mind under a spiritual guide. Outward sins are very clear and easy to see, if a man have a mind to watch himself; but these mental sins are in many ways more covert, and can be put on such a good face that we are often hardly aware of the grievous fall that is close at hand.
Now mark, it is to be counted as spiritual unchastity or wantonness, when a man seeks himself too much, and with eager desire strives after warmth and sensible devoutness, to the end that he may always be in a state of contentment, and none may have a right to reprove him, though he shall give himself to his own special prayers and religious exercises, while leaving unfulfilled the work that is his duty. When such an one has none of these sweet emotions, he is quite troubled, and becomes peevish and very impatient in the trifling mishaps that befall him, though they are really of no importance whatever; and when he cannot obtain joy or inward peace according to his desire, he complains of the great grievances and temptations which he has to endure. St Bernard says, that our Lord bestows these graces of sensible emotion upon such as have done nothing to deserve them nor are worthy of them; but He does this in mercy, that He may draw such to His love; and He withholds these gifts from some who have undergone long and painful exercises, and were well fit to receive them; yea, from some He withholds them all their life long; but He will give them a great recompense for it in the next life. The reason of His thus withholding sensible delight is, that our spiritual fruitfulness and highest blessedness do not lie therein, but in our inward trusting and clinging to God, in our not seeking ourselves either in sorrow or joy, but through joy and sorrow devoting ourselves to God, and, like poor unworthy servants, offering ourselves to Him at our own costs, though we should have to serve Him thus for ever. Yet it may indeed be permitted to a young weak Christian, at the outset of his course, to pray for such graces or gifts from our good God, in order to be able to glorify Him with the greater activity, and to be grounded the more
firmly to His love. But when we desire such inward fervours and sweet peace (which are His gifts and not our deserts) more for their own sake than for the Giver Himself, we fall into spiritual wantonness and black disloyalty, which our good God has not deserved at our hands, with His utter renunciation of Himself outwardly and inwardly.
Spiritual covetousness is when a man is always coveting to have more than bare necessities, while pursuing this earthly pilgrimage. For what more should a pilgrim take with him by the way, than such things as are needful to sustain him till he come safely to his home? Believe me, it is a great blemish in true outward poverty to desire aught beyond necessaries; so likewise, it is a still greater blemish in the inward poverty of the spirit. Ah! who has ever been so poor as He, Who, in utter poorness of spirit stood forsaken by Heaven and by the creatures, cast out alone in utter exile, when He sent forth that bitter cry: "My God, My God! why have you forsaken Me?" And this was all that He might be an Ensample to us, to comfort our poverty and bereavement by teaching us true submission. I hear you saying: "Yes, if it were not my own fault, and if I had not failed to receive the blessing through my own heedlessness, or thrown it away by mine own guilty folly, I could bear it all the better; what should I then have to mourn over? But now it is all my own doing; I have brought the mischief upon myself." I answer, do not let this lead you astray; do you not know how it is written: "The just man falls seven times, and rises up again;" and dost you think to stand always? Yes, I assert and confess with you that it is your own fault, that you have brought it upon yourself and well deserved it; yet, nevertheless, it is better that you shouldst with firm trust pray our kind God for His peace (Who knows your weakness, and is ready to forgive your trespasses seventy times seven in a day), than that you shouldst thus drive yourself back in your course with such faint-heartedness O child, have you fallen? arise, and go with childlike trust to your Father, like the prodigal son, and humbly say with heart and mouth: "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before You, and am no more worthy to be called Your son, make me as one of Your hired servants." And what will your Heavenly Father do, but what that father did in the parable? Assuredly He will not change His Essence, which is Love, for the sake of your misdoings. Is it not His own precious treasure, and a small thing with Him, to forgive you your
trespasses, if you believe in Him? for His Hand is not shortened that it cannot make you fit to be saved. Therefore, beware of spiritual covetousness, for the poorer you are in your own eyes when you come to Him, the more acceptable are you in His sight, and the more richly He will endow you and clothe you out of His treasures.
Spiritual pride is when a man is not willing to be put to shame in his own eyes on account of his transgressions, but is ever trying to excuse and gloss over his faults, and is ever willing to spare himself, even in small matters. And this often leads people to make many useless and wrong speeches in order to excuse themselves and to justify themselves in every respect; as much as to say, "I am not the man to be accused of this and that"; and they are unwilling to remember or consider that he who cannot clear himself with the simple truth, will not be helped by the untruths by which he often adds to his guilt; and that a man who humbles himself before God is more in His eyes than an arrogant, selfrighteous man, who deems himself able to answer for all his deeds with his own righteousness. Hearken, dear child, what does all our righteousness come to at last? Esaias says: "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;" and, however great our righteousness is or might become, yet, if the Lord should sit in judgement on us, without doubt we should have to confess ourselves His debtors, and place all our hopes in His mercy. Our Lord often disciplines a man by his own failings, if he is humble under them and throws himself at God's Feet; for God will have every knee to bend before Him, and will have the praise and glory of all goodness. Hence we may observe that there is often a secret pride within us, from which many unseemly points do grow. But he who gives diligence to beware of spiritual wantonness, covetousness and pride, shall be kept from straying out of God's ways, or falling into error in his inward exercises.
But, in order to keep yourselves from these sins, and to withstand this kind of temptation, you must observe these rules of which I will tell you. The first is: None of the inward difficulties that rise up from within, or the adverse circumstances that stay our hands from working, by which we are drawn or pressed into the likeness and conformity to the humble Image of Christ and His Saints (not alone outwardly, but that of their
inward condition), can be the work either of evil spirits or of nature, but without a doubt come from God. For He is the Highest Good, and from the Highest Good nothing but what is good can flow; and all the goodness that God gives us of His stores, and that we render back again to Him, has proceeded from Him as its Source; just as all streams flow back again to their source, the ocean, whence they have arisen; and all things do rejoice in their return. But all that draws us and leads us aside from such conformity and likeness, proceeds without doubt from the Spirit of Evil, who is ever on the watch to disturb and draw us down; as our Lord said: "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who gathers not with Me scatters." This rule is against the first spiritual vice, that of wantonness.
The second rule is: Whatever befalls a man inwardly, whereby he is brought to a closer and more sensible gathering up of all his affections and impulses in singleness of heart into a steadfast trust in and love of the Father's loving-kindness, and not his own works and experiences; this is from God. And he who at all times sees himself to be a poor beggar, however fair his works may seem, the more narrowly he looks into his own heart, and the more mastery he gains over himself, the more does he discover his own nakedness of all virtue. He becomes aware in himself that he is nothing but an empty worthless vessel, fitted, not to honour but to eternal destruction, which vessel God alone must and will fill with His grace. When we cling to Him, suffer Him to have access to our spirits, and do not defend ourselves with ourselves, that work is no doubt of God, by which a man is driven into himself to learn his own poverty. But the suggestions of the Enemy and of nature rob and despoil a man of all the benefits of his virtues; and this is the case wherever a man does not know his own real state, and thinks to possess what he never had, and says (as it is written): "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," and knows not that he is "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." This is the rule against spiritual covetousness.
The third rule is: Whatever befalls a man by which he is lessened and humbled in his own inmost emotions, and which makes him bend under the Almighty Hand of God, under all creatures, abasing and annihilating himself in true humility; this comes no doubt from God. For as Lucifer and his followers desired to be great and lofty, and were therefore thrust
down from Heaven, so are we led back again to Heaven by selfabasement; as it is said of the Kings of the East, that they travelled back into their own land again by another way.
Thus does every being do and teach according to his essence, drawing into his own likeness all whom there are to draw, so far as in him lies. The Evil Spirit is puffed up in his own obstinate conceit, and in the loftiness of his pride is so hardened and unbending in his own stiffnecked will and purpose, that neither to win Heaven nor for anything else will he humble himself for one moment, so fixed is he in his evil mind. So likewise is it with all the proud, who have learnt of him to trust in their own understandings, above all other men's opinion and reason; wherefore they fall into strife and variance with their neighbours, which begets much trouble and disquiet of heart; and hence arise many breaches of brotherly love. They will take reproof from none, and grow so hardened in their own obstinate, evil will, and set upon their purposes, that they rashly dare to withstand all the admonitions of God and His Friends; as the Jewish scribes and priests withstood our Blessed Lord; and of such the prophet Esaias, speaking in the person of Christ, complains: "I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, which walks in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts."
But our blessed Lord, on the contrary, is meek and humble; yea, He is Himself the essence of humility, whereunto He is unceasingly drawing all men whom there are to draw, and who are willing to be drawn. His Being is the cause, the essence and the origin of all things. He is the Life of the living, the Resurrection of the dead, the Restorer of all deformity and unfitness, and of those who have corrupted and despoiled themselves through sin. He calls back those who have fallen away and have wandered from His fold. He raised up and confirms those who are in temptation. He is the Bulwark of those who stand, the Awakener and Guide of all who are looking and striving upwards towards Him, the Source of all light, the Lamp of all who walk in light, the Revealer of mysteries, in so far as it is fitting for us to know, and the Beginning of all beginnings. His Essence is incomprehensible, unspeakable and without a name. Therefore should we honour and glorify His unspeakable Mystery with holy reverence and silence, and nevermore covet to fathom or to
taste aught except in so far as is to His honour and to our profit; but ever, with fit reverence and devoutness, turn with all our might in shamefaced awe to contemplate the radiance of His bright and spotless Mirror. It behoves man to be ever in fear, and to bethink him of the word that God, our Lord, spoke by the mouth of Moses: "If a man or a beast touch the mountain, he shall be stoned"; which signifies that our animal senses must not presume to clime the Mount of the Divine Essence, but must rather keep themselves below and take the nearest place, until the time come when it shall be said to the man: "Friend, come up higher." And then he shall not go up of himself, but he shall suffer himself to be led upwards; and his sensual nature shall be purified and endowed with the Light of God, whereby he shall receive more light than he could ever win by all his great and strenuous labour. For the Divine Nature of Christ is a magnet that draws to itself all spirits and hearts that bear its likeness, and daily unites them to itself through love.
Now Richard of St Victor says: "I receive Christ not alone on the Cross, but also in His Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. But I may not receive Him there except I find James, Peter and John, Moses and Elias with Him, who bear witness to me that it is truly Christ." That is to say: in all our distresses, in all our painful inward destitution, we may boldly believe that Christ is present with us; but, if He appears to us on the mount of inward contemplation, we need these witnesses, that we may not enjoy the fruition of His gifts in a wanton spirit, for the satisfaction of our own desires, nor too ardently covet more of His good gifts than we can put to a good use; but may ever abase ourselves so thoroughly that we fall not into any spiritual pride. These are the true witnesses, that we may freely receive Christ in His Glory on the heights of Mount Tabor, without hindrance or error; for where these witnesses are of a truth, there we cannot be deceived by the spirit of falsehood. May Almighty God help us so to do! Amen.
SERMON XXXII; On the Feast of a Holy Bishop
How man should exalt and honour God's Holy Name alone, and despise, shun and flee from his own in true humility and real resignation. That young men, growing in grace, must first be directed thereto, and then be
drawn by all kinds of easy exercises and rebukes, that they may become still more resigned in all things hereafter.
"In My Name shall his horn be exalted."
You know, dear children, that no sins are so displeasing to the God of Gods, as the haughty arrogance and the proud boasting of man in his own name; because man is thus ascribing the honour to himself, which belongs only to God, while he cannot bear his own name to be despised. God lent him that name and the honour, that other men might be improved by seeing such a dignitary or prelate, using his authority or rule solely to the Glory of God, neither seeking nor desiring his own, everywhere. This we can recognise and see plainly in the holy life, which the Bishop, whose feast we are keeping to-day, led on earth; and therefore we sing of him from the Psalter: "In My Name shall his honour be exalted"; as though God said of him: "Not in his name, because he neither seeks nor desires that, but in My Name shall his horn be exalted and lifted up."
Now, in another place, the prophet says of God: "His name alone is exalted." Nothing is more displeasing or abhorrent to God than the longing for a great name. This infirmity, in many men, is often so much hidden and concealed that they are scarcely conscious of the great danger in which they stand. It often comes to pass that they even despise it, and imagine that they have a right that people should hold them in high esteem; they cannot endure that anyone should say anything or do anything that affects or touches their honour, or slights them in any way. David says of such secret sins: "From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord." that means, cleanse me from the desire to have a great name. He says also: "Let not the foot of (that is the desire and longing for) pride come to me, let not the hand move me. There the workers of iniquity have fallen." God will not regard anything of thine, however good it may be. St Chrysostom says: "Forsake your great name and then you will easily overcome torture and suffering." If by some means God could induce man to feel as great, bitter and ignominious a contempt for himself, as the haughty, self-satisfied pride in which he had previously indulged, God would have obtained what He desired; for all the things by which God
corrects men inwardly take place that man may be humbled and abased in himself. If God does not succeed in bringing this to pass by such correction and abasement, He often allows these, His Friends, to fall into open shame and trouble, that they will be pitied by all men and thus be abased in their own eyes.
Now, know, that when a man is too highly exalted by other men, and more virtue or holiness is ascribed to him, and his name is held in greater repute than it ought in truth to be in the sight of God, on account of some secret sin which is known only to him and to God; see, this great and good repute can only cause him injury, shame and pain, either here or in another world. For this undeserved spiritual gift of honour offered to him, must necessarily be changed in this life into shame and mockery, if he is to preserve it otherwise in eternity. If a man neither glories in his good name, nor is well-pleased with himself (for if he be, it will be very harmful to him, and will avenge itself on him), his name will be very useful, and a blessing and help to him; for then it is pure and beneficial. Even though he have a great name, he may be preserved by the Grace of God, in fear and humility, while he acknowledges his own vileness, weakness and sinfulness. If he thinks nothing of himself on account of all these virtues, but only that he is a messenger and an unworthy servant and guardian of these gifts of God, then he looks upon himself as no better or worthier than he was before, but carries on his office simply to the glory of God and of the Holy Church, and that he may advance the salvation of his fellow men. See, how very fruitful this is in the sight of God, and what great blessings it brings to other men. Even when he is called great before worldly men, yet he is none the less nothing in the sight of God; and he feels in his heart, that he is one who desires the lowest place and possesses it at all times; and if he were deposed from his position or his honours, it would not trouble him, because to him all things are alike.
Dear children, for this reason the great repute of the superior clergy is very dangerous, and should be shunned or at least despised; because, when a man does not live up to what he is anxious to be considered, and glories or rejoices unworthily in his name and honour, hereafter, either here or in another world, he will have to pay or atone for it with shame
and sorrow, because his name was greater than his life in the sight of God.
But when some men are faint-hearted, desponding at times, on account of their great reputation, fearing that their intentions are not quite pure, and that they often think more of the dignity of their name than of the command of obedience, yet, none the less, they ought to do good, because at all times men ought to do good, and even if their intentions are not quite pure, yet they ought to strive to amend; and then their virtues will become deserving. But, if a great name is blazed abroad, and a man does good work to please others, or from evil motives, then he will become proud and arrogant, and be led astray by the desire to do anything more, unless he is called great; for in all his works he will desire the praise of men, and to be seen of them. He thus devotes himself in good earnest to show his ecclesiastical ability and his moral conduct, chiefly in the presence of other people, so that he may be seen of them. He will do nothing unless he can do it far better than all others, that he may deserve the prize.
Now, we can recognize the men who stand in this evil ground of manpleasing, and not in faith, hope and the love of God, by noticing that they do not trust in the Love of God; they do not believe in Him, and they dare not believe that He is the faithful Helper of His true servants. Therefore they soon begin to doubt and mistrust God, and are in great danger of the very worst that can happen to them. These people may be discovered by telling them to do something for which they are unfit or are incapable. They cannot be induced to do it, for they fear that other people will notice their incapacity or unskilfulness, and will therefore think less of them, and consider them as small as they really are. All the Scriptures do not suffice to prove to them the great faithfulness of God, which He vouchsafes to those who trust in Him, so that they may be ready to leave all to God and to trust in Him, and, for His sake, to allow their unskilfulness to be made manifest. No, ten preachers would not be able to prove this to them; and therefore they continue in their hard heartedness and pride, and are unable to win any true love from rightminded men. If they would only forsake this, they might be at once enlightened with a new, peculiar, divine and joyful Light, which would
cause their old wicked sadness to vanish quite away, and would gain a satisfying love for them from all the men with whom they have to deal and with whom they dwell. But, because they do not act thus, they must remain in a state of bitterness and malice towards their neighbours, so that all brotherly love is pain to them, and all good and loving deeds torment and trouble them. Therefore they are forced to seek for solitude, to separate themselves from mankind, that they may neither see nor hear anything from which trouble or sorrow could arise. They also take care not to trouble themselves about anyone, and imagine that they will thus attain to peace. Now, dear children, this is not the path of peace; for such men have much more unrest, and wicked, envious disquiet, malice and condemnation, the more they withdraw themselves and keep away from other men, hoping to be at peace in secret. For the wicked Enemy dwells in these evil, proud hearts, and never allows peace to enter there.
But if these men are ever to attain to true peace and joy, they must learn to know their own hearts, and to cleanse them from all pride and selfrighteousness; and, in so far as it is seemly, to make known their weaknesses, vileness and uselessness to others, desiring to be accounted vile, useless and weak, exercising themselves in that as long and as much as they feel in their hearts that they have an evil desire for human praise. If they practice this, they will attain to true peace and love, and gain a taste for the skill in their occupations; but otherwise never. If I were to allow them to confess for three hours every day, it would not help them at all; they would still remain in a state of disquiet and sadness, hating their neighbours. The more they confessed, the more the Evil Spirit would find cause for their anger, hatred, envy, sorrow and gloom, in themselves and towards others. He even sometimes seeks out things, and brings up what was said or done ten, twenty or thirty years ago; and, by the thought of them, leads such men further astray than he had succeeded in doing by the very things themselves. They will have to endure this as long as they will not acknowledge their weakness, but desire the praise of men on account of their outward deeds and customs.
Now, people say that they must set others a good example and anger none. I say to you, that if you wish to set a good example to the people with whom you consort, and to anger none, you must show yourselves to
be what you are in truth, and let yourselves be known in truth, as far as is needful. Be pure, long-suffering and decorous, and, in kindly love, desire to be scorned and rejected, and then all will be well with you.
Oh! children, these men have been neglected in their youth; they have never been well disciplined by scorn and much opposition, but they have been allowed, at times, to see how pleased people were with what they did or seemed to be. Thus they became hardened, so that afterwards they could neither do nor wish to do anything for which they would not receive praise or fame; while nothing could be got out of them except by prayers and entreaties.
Oh! all this is most evil and pitiful; for these are they of whom the Lord says: "They have received their reward." Those who praise them are accounted murderers before God; for they deceive and lead astray foolish men, who were good-hearted, inclined to give glory to God, and well able to do so, but who become hard-hearted, desiring human praise, thinking well of themselves and full of self-satisfaction, which causes the eternal death of the soul, its rejection and banishment from true eternal life and from all the Saints. These betrayers act thus, that by fame and praise they may bring round these foolish hearts to their will, that they may become all the more diligent in subduing temporal things to themselves, and thus to contrive that all may tend to their own advantage, for which they are hoping.
Oh! children, the desire for temporal things causes a real alienation from eternal things. If we sought first those things that would be useful to us in eternity, and which would further our salvation, undoubtedly God would not only abstain from withdrawing temporal things from us, but He would also give them back to us with increase. But, as it is, for the sake of a small advantage, we lose and betray these simple hearts, in the evil desire for human praise and our own gratification, which is the evil source of pride, and which God always resists. He never receives such men into favour, but He allows them to be driven by the Evil One into all kinds of wickedness; for there is scarcely a sin which is so inhuman that they are not tempted by it; and all arises from this devilish root of inner, proud self-satisfaction, which was not checked at first. Therefore, from
youth up it has taken such deep root, that, in old age, it is hard work striving to cast out this infirmity.
Therefore, simple men who are striving to advance, must be well guarded, and instructed that they must do nothing in order to gain praise, but must do all to the glory of God, Who needs not our praise, but Who humbled Himself, even to Death, to gain us strength, knowledge, prudence, and many other gifts and graces, that we may work out our own salvation. Children, it would be far better and more charitable to rebuke these men, and to teach them to regard themselves as little or nothing in their own eyes, training them in the humility they rejected; for then they might become great and holy men. But by praise and fame they are spoilt; so that, later, when they are old, and we shall be anxious to teach them, they will have become so established in this evil, wicked state, that no instruction for their good can turn them. They think those who do not praise them, hateful; and they are often discontented and insubordinate to their superiors and father confessors, and remain in a state of sadness, gloom, and false suspicion. They imagine they are not sufficiently considered; no one asks after them; and they constantly refer to the great deeds that they have done, to their industry and so on. They say they have been very useful, and they tell this to other people, and complain and almost murmur if no one asks after them.
See, dear children, how all this misery is brought upon these foolish people by praise and flattery, so that their salvation even is placed in great jeopardy. He, who in this life cannot bring himself to feel peaceful, friendly, brotherly love for his neighbour, and who cannot be truly resigned and obedient to his superiors, is in great danger of losing eternal salvation. He, who is not acting thus, will not be helped by all his fastings, vigils, his singing and reading, his prostrations, mortification of the flesh, or anything else, however important it may seem. It would be far better and more useful for men to set aside all visible and outward works and discipline, till they had learnt the true and real virtues of love and resignation, and had a real desire to do all only for the love of God and of their neighbours.
Now, mark further, as soon as a man realizes that he does not care for a
grand name and position, but wishes to remain always concealed, and longs for humiliation and simplicity, and to be cast off and left unnoticed among other men, then God will do great things in his name. If the man seeks for no honour, and does not desire a great name and position, and, when no one is willing to show him any honour, he is ready to accept it all and desires to take the lowest place always, then all will be well with him. See, then his great name amongst men is no longer harmful to him; but he must learn also to conquer himself in this, and be ready to hear it, so that he may gain his neighbour. For this also is a step in that inner death, that he may be able to endure this position, and learn to give up his own will even in this. He will most certainly find that he is greater in God; and God will enlighten him and fill him with Divine Light. Thus it will be found that all this is quite incomprehensible to the human understanding of those who have not walked in this way before.
But, because it is a great thing to stand upright in this way, so also is it very dangerous to fall in it and to take pleasure in one's own name. Therefore, every man should flee from it as long as he can or may, that he may not be exalted in this life; for he whom God calls to it in this life, must pass through many a dark way that is unknown to him. He rests only in the hope of God and in confident faith, and says: "Lord, I will serve You; therefore I trust that there is no deception in all that is placed before me in this wonderful way, and I will bear it ever." At times faith, hope and love fail him, and he is only sustained by his intention in all things. At times he is still conscious of, and loves in the two lowest grades, in nature and in intelligent converse, for then love lies quite concealed in the lowest grade. For as long as he is still faithful to God in some degree in the resignation of nature and speech, and is content to be resigned, while he falls into no ill-placed comfort in vice or sensuality, by which he could rid himself of suffering, all will be well. But if he seeks for gratification in the things of sense, or gives way to outward troubles, even though they be good and religious, that he may be freed from the pressure, he will bind and tear love; and then from time to time he will fall away from love, though he does not know it himself. But, most assuredly, if he stands firm in this, and is true to God in this mysterious resignation, see, he has gained the highest stage of love, though he knows it not. When he has passed through this, his heart is quite freed from self; he brings forth
much fruit even in the sight of other people, and he finds that God is dwelling lovingly in him and he in God in all things.
It would be better for us to try this than to talk about it. He who does not taste it and try it, can never understand what it really is to possess God in truth. May God help us to honour and extol His Name only, and not our own, while we truly depreciate ourselves in this world in true resignation. Amen.
SERMON XXXIII; On the Feast of a Holy Confessor
That no one should trust to outward deeds done in the body, to customs and ceremonies; that is religious customs and gestures, in the hope that he can reform himself by them alone; but, that before all things, man should use all diligence in learning to know the very ground of his heart, and to die to all evil inclinations and infirmities.
"The light of your body is your eye."
To-day, dear children, we commemorate the memory of N., that holy Servant of God, who, by his Christian life, showed forth, confessed and spread abroad, the praise and glory of Jesus Christ; not only by the good example and pattern which he set by his virtuous life and character, but also within; for his heart, mind and spirit, rested in true resignation and in the pure ground of his mortified senses, willing always to serve God diligently, and to please Him only. This, truly, was a truly religious and holy life.
Now, you must notice that there are many, in these days, who are called religious and appear to be so, but who exert themselves to the utmost with wrong things. They submit to severe discipline, by means of which they hope, through grace, to become different from what they are by nature. They fast, they watch, they pray and confess often; they receive the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, meditating on the highly exalted Sufferings of Christ, they do works of mercy, and often seek for absolution; or other exercises of that kind, whatever they may be. Yet, by means of all this discipline they are not changed, they waste their
strength and power away from God, gaining no praise nor any benefit for their souls, but rather bringing themselves down thereby to hell. For they do not look into themselves, and do not learn to know their own hearts; and, when they ought to be advancing, they are losing ground. They think much of themselves, and yet they are nothing and are serving God heedlessly. They think they are seeking God, but they are not; and when they thus go on, living carelessly according to their undisciplined desires, allowing their imagination to be excited by their senses, none of their actions can make them any better. The older they grow and the longer they live thus, the more impatient they will be and unguarded against sin in word and deed; and this will be the case, too, with those who look for high places in the monasteries. This is the result of serving God after their own pleasure, and with ill-regulated desires. When they feel inclined to do good works, they devote themselves thereto, often beyond their power; at one time they will do one thing, at another time another; and then they imagine that the one helps them and the other hinders them. Thus they go carelessly from one exercise to another, imagining that all gratifies their natural desires; they are well pleased; but when they are not satisfied inwardly, they imaging that nothing is helpful to them. Thus they become inconstant, no discipline pleases them for long; for, however they may live, they will never reach their true ground; for, to whatever they may devote themselves in such an unskillful way, and however good their intentions may be, they will yet be deceived, although they allow themselves to imagine that God only is in all their thoughts. Who is there who wishes to serve the Evil Spirit? This is surely desired by none. It is not our wish; we will not have him for our master; and yet we do his will. For, as long as we serve God only in outward works, we have not begun to serve Him really in truth and with real devotion; for the right foundation of a perfect Christian life does not consist only of external works, though they are a help, but much more of good work in the heart, by which sin is avoided and virtue brought forth.
Again, I say, you may find men in monasteries, who keep the strict rules of their Order by external deeds done in the body. There are men, too, in the world, who torment their bodies by watchings, fastings and other kinds of discipline; who give alms with open hands, but who do not keep the ground of their hearts, cleansing it from all sin. While they are doing
all these great external works, they are angry, envious and proud. They slander their neighbours while they strive to gain a good report for themselves; and they do other such-like things, which show that they are in the bonds of the Evil Spirit. These men deceive themselves one with another. They imagine that they will be justified and saved by their outward works only; but this will never be the case in eternity. Such men may well be compared to images, which look like gold outside, but which are stone or wood within. Our Lord compares them in the Gospel to the sepulchres of the dead, which are beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones. Therefore, I say: It is of no use for a man to fast, to pray and to do other religious works, unless his mind is cleansed and purified from all wickedness. It is seldom, alas, that man lives uprightly; and yet it is not so impossible, if he would only use a little care. That on which everything depends he will not attend to, while he hopes to obtain great blessedness from that on which nothing depends; so he has great difficulty and hard work, and seeks long for God, and yet seldom finds Him aright, and as He ought to be found. These are the sins which cause men so often to fail; they strive after impossibilities; and what they might do, and which no one could hinder them from doing, that they will not do; for they have neither love nor liking for it, while they would gladly have what is impossible. They set themselves to do what they like or fancy, with uncontrolled love and desire, following the guidance of the outer man, and saying they act thus, because they do not know what they ought to do or to leave undone. They might soon find out, why they spike thus, if they would only strive to walk uprightly in the way of truth and righteousness. It does not arise from anything that they do no know; for then their consciences would not punish them for any neglect; they would be doing right, as far as they knew, whether it were much or little, and God would not require anything more of them; for, if He did, He would give them more knowledge.
Lastly, give heed to this, dear children. A man, who by grace desires to be other than he is by nature, must strive after that spirituality, which contains within itself the righteousness which must be the portion of every Christian man; for true righteousness demands true devotion. Now what is true devotion? Some people imagine that true devotion consists of sweet longings; and at times it may, but not always; for sometimes men
naturally experience such sweetness, and thus many men err and are deceived. True devotion is a willing submission to the service of God; and a truly spiritual man will carefully examine his own heart, and search out all his thoughts, words and works, and all his life, learning thus to know his own faults. He can scarcely fail to discover something, whatever it may be; and if he desires to be freed from his fault, he must learn to acknowledge it; then follows repentance for the fault that he has acknowledged. Man must search diligently in order to find out how he can best free himself from his old life, destroy all vice in himself, and devote himself earnestly to the keeping of God's commands. These are not ordered alike for the clergy and for simple laymen; but more is required of the clergy than of the laity, and they must also be more strict. They must also take their part in ordinary life with the Holy Christian Church, and according to the observance of their Order or religious life. These things are more necessary than any amount of severe discipline and hardship, in fastings, vigils, labours, and so on, which are all like a sign-post pointing to progress in spirituality, but which are not in themselves true and real religion. Many men may, indeed, be found who exercise themselves therein, but who are, nevertheless, full of evil, selfwilled, disobedient, proud, angry, and so on. God grant that we may all give ourselves to true devotion. Amen.
SERMON XXXIV; On the Feast of a Holy Virgin
How wise and prudent virgins should adorn themselves, both outwardly and inwardly, that they may be received at the Eternal Marriage of Christ and may enter in. Of the noble and precious virtue of true and lowly Love, to which we can attain only by resignation, suffering and love.
"Five of them were foolish and five wise."
Our dear Lord likens the Kingdom of Heaven to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom and the bride. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. They are very unlike each other; for the foolish live after the flesh, in the world and in temptation. The wise look upon all these things, and live after the spirit. The wise virgins
control themselves in all things, to which the foolish give no heed, both outwardly and inwardly.
There are five things which are necessary to all for the control of the outer man, if they desire to be like the five wise virgins. The first is moderation in eating and drinking, in clothes, in vigils, in fasting, and in all the other things that nature needs, and that must be partaken of to supply the needs of nature, but not for the furtherance of sin. The second is simplicity in all things. They should wear rough, plain clothes; be simple in their coming and going; firm and simple in their behaviour; and modest in all things.
Thirdly, they should avoid all foolish company, especially the company of those who speak vain words, and who are scrupulous about many things.
Fourthly, they must live by the labour of their own hands, and must not be idle, even though they be rich; for idleness is the door to all uncleanness.
Fifthly, they must be industrious and always at work. They must keep control over their senses and all their members, keeping aloof and turning away from all the temptations that may befall them, but which they must earnestly withstand, and to which they must never consent. There is nothing that will help them better in this, than making their temptations, humbly and fully, to some holy man, taking counsel with him, and submitting themselves earnestly and discreetly to bodily penance, with fervent prayer to God. All men are accounted foolish virgins before God, who do not thus govern the outer man.
Now, it becomes wise virgins to adorn themselves in the inner man. The foundation of this is lowliness of mind, for they are to become the Sisters of God by doing the Will of God; therefore they must not condemn others by saying that those who live in wedlock are wicked. They must not desire to please any one by their spiritual virtues, but God only; otherwise they will be like the Pharisees. They are not commanded to keep their virginity, but they are commanded to be humble. A proud
virgin, in the sight of God, is a thousand times worse and more impure than a humble married woman. A virgin does not hate any one, but must love all people; she must not think much of self, but she must always keep herself in fear and trembling. When sins begin to grow and give pleasure, love and all other virtues grow cold. A virgin can only follow the Lamb of God in all places whithersoever He goeth, if she is truly pure and humble; for, if she is spotted by pride or any other gross sin, religious married people stand far above her.
Virginity has its origin in God Himself. The Angels have learnt it from God; for it is found in Heaven, and will remain there for ever, after the Judgement Day. When these virgins have risen again from the dead, they will not be given in marriage, but will be like the Angels of God and eternally united with God. They are loosed from all men, and are united only with God, that they may bring forth eternal fruit. They have great power over the Devil; they alone sing the new song that no one else can sing. God has set His Throne in these daughters who have thus been trained. It is a joy to Him to be with them, if they live after the inner man in humility, chastity and resignation, and with hearts subdued to the Love of God.