_The World's Great Sermons_ VOLUME I BASIL TO CALVIN _By Grenville Kleiser_ * * * * * POWER & PERSONALITY IN SPEAKING _$1. 25, net; by mail, $1. 40_ HOW TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC _$1. 25, net; by mail, $1. 40_ HUMOROUS HITS, &C. _$1. 00, net; by mail, $1. 11_ * * * * * FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY NEW YORK AND LONDON THE WORLD'S GREAT SERMONS Compiled By GRENVILLE KLEISER Formerly of Yale Divinity School Faculty;Author of "How to Speak in Public, " Etc. With Assistance from Many of the Foremost Living Preachers and OtherTheologians INTRODUCTION BY LEWIS O. BRASTOW, D. D. Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology in Yale University IN TEN VOLUMES VOLUME. I--BASIL TO CALVIN Copyright, 1908, By Funk & Wagnalls Company _Printed in the United States of America_ PREFACE The aim in preparing this work has been to bring together the bestexamples of the products of the pulpit through the Christian centuries, and to present these masterpieces in attractive and convenient form. Itis believed that they will be found valuable as instruction to ministersof to-day. They should also be helpful to others who, tho not preachers, yet seek reading of this kind for the upbuilding of personal characterand for strengthening their Christian faith. The sermons have been chosen in some cases for their literary andrhetorical excellences, but in every case for their helpfulness insolving some of the problems of Christian living. No two persons arelikely to agree upon "the best" of anything, and readers will probablywish in particular instances that some other clergymen or sermons hadbeen included. It is confidently believed, however, that the list heregiven is fairly representative of the preaching that characterized theage to which each sermon respectively belongs. While some of the sermons of the early centuries may not seem exactlyfitted to modern needs, it is thought that those presented will repaycareful perusal, since they each contain a distinct message for latergenerations. Moreover, a comparison extending over the whole field ofsermonic literature, such as the preacher may make with this collectionbefore him, should prove most valuable as showing what progress andchanges have come over homiletic matter and methods. Such a comparisonshould in fact throw much light on the spirit and conditions of varioushomiletic periods. In choosing sermons by living preachers considerable difficulty has beenfound, not only in deciding upon sermons, but upon preachers. The listmight have been extended indefinitely. Whenever possible the preacher, when living, has himself been consulted as to what he considered hismost representative sermon. Thanks are due, and are hereby acknowledged, to numerous clergymen, publishers, librarians, and others who have generously assisted thecompiler in this undertaking. Most grateful acknowledgment is also madeto the Rev. Epiphanius Wilson and the Rev. W. C. Stiles for valuableeditorial assistance. GRENVILLE KLEISER. _New York City, October, 1908. _ INTRODUCTION Collections of sermons by noted preachers of different periods are notan altogether uncommon contribution to literature. Italy, Germany, Holland, France, Great Britain and the United States have in this wayfurnished copious illustrations of the gifts of their illustriouspreachers. Such treasures are found in the Latin and even in the GreekChurch. Protestant communions especially, in line with the supremesignificance which they attach to the work of the pulpit, have thussought to magnify the calling and to perpetuate the memory and theinfluence of their distinguished sons. Still more comprehensive attemptshave been made to collate the products of representative preachers indifferent Protestant communions, and thus to bring into prominencevarious types of sermonic literature. It is in this way that theChristian world has come to know its pulpit princes and to value theirachievements. The collection contained in the volumes before us is, however, morevaried and comprehensive, reaching as it does from the fourth to thetwentieth century, than any collection known to the writer. In theselection Professor Kleiser has brought to his task a personal knowledgeof homiletic literature that is the product of much observation andstudy during many years, and an enthusiasm for his work that has beenfostered by close intercourse in professional service with preachers andtheological students. He has had the assistance also of men whoseacquaintance with homiletic literature is very extensive, whose criticaljudgments are sound and reliable and who may be regarded as experts inthis branch of knowledge. These volumes, therefore, may be accepted as ajudiciously selected collection of sermons by many of the most notablepreachers of the ancient and modern Christian world. Their value asillustrating varieties of gift, diversities of method, racial, nationaland ecclesiastical peculiarities, and above all progress in the scienceand art of preaching, may well be recognized even by a generation thatis likely to regard anything that is more than twenty-four hours old asobsolete. LEWIS O. BRASTOW. _Yale University, New Haven, Conn. , October, 1908. _ CONTENTS VOLUME I PREFACE INTRODUCTION BASIL (329-379). The Creation of the World CHRYSOSTOM (347-407). Excessive Grief at the Death of Friends AUGUSTINE (354-430). The Recovery of Sight by the Blind WYCLIF (1324-1384). Christ's Real Body Not in the Eucharist SAVONAROLA (1452-1498). The Ascension of Christ LUTHER (1483-1546). The Method and Fruits of Justification LATIMER (1485-1555). On Christian Love MELANCHTHON (1497-1560). The Safety of the Virtuous KNOX (1505-1572). The First Temptation of Christ CALVIN (1509-1564). Enduring Persecution for Christ BASIL THE CREATION OF THE WORLD BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Basil, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and styled "The Great, " was thefounder of Eastern monasticism, defender of the Nicene doctrines anddoctor of the Church. He was born at Caesarea in 329, and was thoroughlyeducated in all that a teacher like Libanius could impart at Rome, andHimerius at Constantinople. Returning home, he plunged into thepleasures of social life, but was induced by his sister to visit thehermits of Syria, Palestine and Egypt. Attracted during his travels tothe religious life, he secluded himself in a lonely spot in inclementPontus. During his monastic life of seven years (357-364) he formulated themonastic rule still observed by Eastern monks. Ordained presbyter in364, he labored in founding religious institutions of various kinds. Heattracted notice by his growing Nicene predilections, and was electedbishop of his native town (370) and virtual primate of Asia Minor. Hisconduct in dealing with the Arians was uncompromising yet conciliating. As a theologian he stands next to his brother Gregory and to Athanasius, but he excels them both in the literary charm and variety of his Greekstyle. He died in 379. BASIL329-379 THE CREATION OF THE WORLD _The earth was without form and void. _--Gen. I, 2. In the few words which have occupied us this morning we have found sucha depth of thought that we despair of penetrating farther. If such isthe forecourt of the sanctuary, if the portico of the temple is so grandand magnificent, if the splendor of its beauty thus dazzles the eyes ofthe soul, what will be the holy of holies? Who will dare to try to gainaccess to the innermost shrine? Who will look into its secrets? To gazeinto it is indeed forbidden us, and language is powerless to expresswhat the mind conceives. However, since there are rewards, and most desirable ones, reserved bythe just Judge for the intention alone of doing good, do not let ushesitate to continue our researches. Altho we may not attain to thetruth, if, with the help of the Spirit, we do not fall away from themeaning of Holy Scripture, we shall not deserve to be rejected, and withthe help of grace, we shall contribute to the edification of the Churchof God. "The earth, " says Holy Scripture, "was without form and void"--_i. E. _, invisible and unfinished. The heavens and the earth were createdtogether. How, then, is it that the heavens are perfect whilst the earthis still unformed and incomplete? In one word, what was the unfinishedcondition of the earth and for what reason was it invisible? Thefertility of the earth is its perfect finishing; growth of all kinds ofplants, the up-springing of tall trees, both productive and unfruitful, flowers' sweet scents and fair colors, and all that which, a littlelater, at the voice of God came forth from the earth to beautify her, their universal mother. As nothing of all this yet existed, Scripture is right in calling theearth "without form. " We could also say of the heavens that they werestill imperfect and had not received their natural adornment, since atthat time they did not shine with the glory of the sun and of the moon, and were not crowned by the choirs of the stars. These bodies were notyet created. Thus you will not diverge from the truth in saying that theheavens also were "without form. " The earth was invisible for tworeasons: it may be because man, the spectator, did not yet exist, orbecause, being submerged under the waters which overflowed the surface, it could not be seen, since the waters had not yet been gatheredtogether into their own places, where God afterward collected them andgave them the name of sea. What is invisible? First of all, that which our fleshly eye can notperceive--our mind, for example; then that which, visible in its nature, is hidden by some body which conceals it, like iron in the depths of theearth. It is in this sense that the earth, in that it was hidden underthe waters, was still invisible. However, as light did not yet exist, and as the earth lay in darkness because of the obscurity of the airabove it, it should not astonish us that for this reason Scripture callsit "invisible. " But the corrupters of the truth, who, incapable of submitting theirreason to Holy Scripture, distort at will the meaning of the HolyScriptures, pretend that these words mean matter. For it is matter, theysay, which from its nature is without form and invisible--being by theconditions of its existence without quality and without form and figure. The Artificer submitting it to the working of His wisdom clothed it witha form, organized it, and thus gave being to the visible world. If the matter is uncreated, it has a claim to the same honors as God, since it must be of equal rank with Him. Is this not the summit ofwickedness that utter chaos, without quality, without form or shape, ugliness without configuration, to use their own expression, shouldenjoy the same prerogatives as He who is wisdom, power, and beautyitself, the Creator and the Demiurge of the universe enjoys? This isnot all. If the matter is so great as to be capable of being acted on bythe whole wisdom of God, it would in a way raise its hypostasis to anequality with the inaccessible power of God, since it would be able tomeasure by itself all the extent of the divine intelligence. If it is insufficient for the operations of God, then we fall into amore absurd blasphemy, since we condemn God for not being able, onaccount of the want of matter, to finish His own works. Theresourcelessness of human nature has deceived these reasoners. Each ofour crafts is exercised upon some special matter--the art of the smithupon iron, that of the carpenter on wood. In all there is the subject, the form and the work which results from the form. Matter is taken fromwithout--art gives the form--and the work is composed at the same timeof form and of matter. Such is the idea that they make for themselves of the divine work. Theform of the world is due to the wisdom of the supreme Artificer; mattercame to the Creator from without; and thus the world results from adouble origin. It has received from outside its matter and its essence, and from God its form and figure. They thus come to deny that the mightyGod has presided at the formation of the universe, and pretend that hehas only brought a crowning contribution to a common work; that he hasonly contributed some small portion to the genesis of beings; they areincapable, from the debasement of their reasonings, of raising theirglances to the height of truth. Here, below, arts are subsequent tomatter--introduced into life by the indispensable need of them. Woolexisted before weaving made it supply one of nature's imperfections. Wood existed before carpentering took possession of it, and transformedit each day to supply new wants and made us see all the advantagesderived from it, giving the oar to the sailor, the winnowing-fan to thelaborer, the lance to the soldier. But God, before all those things which now attract our notice existed, after casting about in His mind and determining to bring into being thatwhich had no being, imagined the world such as it ought to be, andcreated matter in harmony with the form which He wished to give it. Heassigned to the heavens the nature adapted for the heavens, and gave tothe earth an essence in accordance with its form. He formed, as hewished, fire, air, and water, and gave to each the essence which theobject of its existence required. Finally he welded all the diverse parts of the universe by links ofindissoluble attachment and established between them so perfect afellowship and harmony that the most distant, in spite of theirdistance, appeared united in one universal sympathy. Let those men, therefore, renounce their fabulous imaginations, who in spite of theweakness of their argument, pretend to measure a power asincomprehensible to man's reason as it is unutterable by man's voice. God created the heavens and the earth, but not only one-half of each; Hecreated all the heavens and all the earth, creating the essence with theform. For He is not an inventor of figures, but the Creator even of theessence of beings. Further, let them tell us how the efficient power ofGod could deal with the passive nature of matter, the latter furnishingthe matter without form, the former possessing the science of the formwithout matter, both being in need of each other; the Creator in orderto display his art, matter in order to cease to be without form and toreceive a form. But let us stop here and return to our subject. "The earth was invisible and unfinished. " In saying "In the beginningGod created the heavens and the earth" the sacred writer passed overmany things in silence--water, air, fire, and the results from them, which, all forming in reality the true complement of the world, were, without doubt made at the same time as the universe. By this silencehistory wishes to train the activity of our intelligence, giving it aweak point for starting, to impel it to the discovery of the truth. Thus, we are told of the creation of water; but, as we are told thatthe earth was invisible, ask yourself what could have covered it andprevented it from being seen? Fire could not conceal it. Fire brightensall about it, and spreads light rather than darkness around. No more wasit air that enveloped the earth. Air by nature is of little density andtransparent. It receives all kinds of visible objects and transmits themto the spectators. Only one supposition remains: that which floated onthe surface of the earth was water, the fluid essence which had not yetbeen confined to its own place. Thus the earth was not only invisible; it was still incomplete. Evento-day excessive damp is a hindrance to the productiveness of the earth. The same cause at the same time prevents it from being seen and frombeing complete, for the proper and natural adornment of the earth is itscompletion: corn waving in the valleys, meadows green with grass andrich with many-colored flowers, fertile glades and hilltops shaded byforests. Of all this nothing was yet produced; the earth was in travailwith it in virtue of the power that she had received from the Creator. But she was waiting for the appointed time and the divine order to bringforth. "Darkness was upon the face of the deep. " A new source for fables andmost impious imaginations may be found by distorting the sense of thesewords at the will of one's fancies. By "darkness" these wicked men donot understand what is meant in reality--air not illumined, the shadowproduced by the interposition of a body, or finally a place for somereason deprived of light. For them "darkness" is an evil power, orrather the personification of evil, having his origin in himself inopposition to, and in perpetual struggle with, the goodness of God. IfGod is light, they say, without any doubt the power which strugglesagainst Him must be darkness, "darkness" not owing its existence to aforeign origin, but an evil existing by itself. "Darkness" is the enemyof souls, the primary cause of death, the adversary of virtue. The wordsof the prophet, they say in their error, show that it exists and that itdoes not proceed from God. From this what perverse and impious dogmashave been imagined! What grievous wolves, tearing the flock of the Lord, have sprung from these words to cast themselves upon souls! Is it notfrom hence that have come forth Marcions and Valentinuses and thedetestable heresy of the Manicheans which you may, without going farwrong, call the putrid humor of the churches? O man, why wander thus from the truth and imagine for thyself that whichwill cause thy perdition? The word is simple and within the comprehensionof all. "The earth was invisible. " Why? Because the "deep" was spreadover its surface. What is "the deep?" A mass of water of extreme depth. But we know that we can see many bodies through clear and transparentwater. How, then, was it that no part of the earth appeared through thewater? Because the air which surrounded it was still without light andin darkness. The rays of the sun, penetrating the water, often allow usto see the pebbles which form the bed of the river, but in a dark nightit is impossible for our glance to penetrate under the water. Thus, these words, "the earth was invisible, " are explained by those thatfollow; "the deep" covered it and itself was in darkness. Thus the deepis not a multitude of hostile powers, as has been imagined; nor"darkness" an evil sovereign force in enmity with good. In reality tworival principles of equal power, if engaged without ceasing in a war ofmutual attacks, will end in self-destruction. But if one should gain the mastery it would completely annihilate theconquered. Thus, to maintain the balance in the struggle between goodand evil is to represent them as engaged in a war without end and inperpetual destruction, where the opponents are at the same timeconquerors and conquered. If good is the stronger, what is there toprevent evil from being completely annihilated? But if that be the case, the very utterance of which is impious, I ask myself how it is thatthey themselves are not filled with horror to think that they haveimagined such abominable blasphemies. It is equally impious to say that evil has its origin from God; becausethe contrary can not proceed from its contrary. Life does not engenderdeath; darkness is not the origin of light; sickness is not the maker ofhealth. In the changes of conditions there are transitions from onecondition to the contrary; but in genesis each being proceeds from itslike and from its contrary. If, then, evil is neither uncreated norcreated by God, from whence comes its nature? Certainly, that evilexists no one living in the world will deny. What shall we say, then?Evil is not a living animated essence: it is the condition of the soulopposed to virtue, developed in the careless on account of their fallingaway from good. Do not, then, go beyond yourself to seek for evil, and imagine thatthere is an original nature of wickedness. Each of us--let usacknowledge it--is the first author of his own vice. Among the ordinary events of life, some come naturally, like old age andsickness; others by chance, like unforeseen occurrences, of which theorigin is beyond ourselves, often sad, sometimes fortunate--as, forinstance, the discovery of a treasure when digging a well, or themeeting of a mad dog when going to the market-place. Others depend upon ourselves; such as ruling one's passions, or notputting a bridle on one's pleasures; the mastery of anger, or resistanceagainst him who irritates us; truth-telling or lying, the maintenance ofa sweet and well-regulated disposition, or of a mood fierce and swollenand exalted with pride. Here you are the master of your actions. Do notlook for the guiding cause beyond yourself, but recognize that evil, rightly so called, has no other origin than our voluntary falls. If itwere involuntary, and did not depend upon ourselves, the laws would nothave so much terror for the guilty, and the tribunals would not be sopitiless when they condemn wretches according to the measure of theircrimes. But enough concerning evil rightly so called. Sickness, poverty, obscurity, death, finally all human afflictions, ought not to be rankedas evils, since we do not count among the greatest boons things whichare their opposites. Among these afflictions some are the effect ofnature, others have obviously been for many a source of advantage. Letus be silent for the moment about these metaphors and allegories, and, simply following without vain curiosity the words of Holy Scripture, letus take from darkness the idea which it gives us. But reason asks, Was darkness created with the world? Is it older thanlight? Why, in spite of its inferiority, has it preceded it? Darkness, we reply, did not exist in essence; it is a condition produced in theair by the withdrawal of light. What, then, is that light whichdisappeared suddenly from the world so that darkness should cover theface of the deep? If anything had existed before the formation of thissensible and perishable world, no doubt we conclude it would have beenin the light. The orders of angels, the heavenly hosts, all intellectualnatures named or unnamed, all the ministering spirits, did not live indarkness, but enjoyed a condition fitted for them in light and spiritualjoy. No one will contradict this, least of all he who looks for celestiallight as one of the rewards promised to virtue--the light which, asSolomon says, is always a light to the righteous, the light which madethe apostle say, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meetto be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. " Finally, ifthe condemned are sent into outer darkness, evidently those who are madeworthy of God's approval are at rest in heavenly light. When, then, according to the order of God, the heaven appeared, enveloping all thatits circumference included, a vast and unbroken body separating outerthings from those which it enclosed, it necessarily kept the spaceinside in darkness for want of communication with the outer light. Three things are, indeed, needed to form a shadow: light, a body, a darkplace. The shadow of heaven forms the darkness of the world. Understand, I pray you, what I mean, by a simple example--by raising for yourself atmidday a tent of some compact and impenetrable material, you shutyourself up in sudden darkness. Suppose that original darkness was likethis, not subsisting directly by itself, but resulting from someexternal causes. If it is said that it rested upon the deep, it isbecause the extremity of air naturally touches the surface of bodies;and as at that time the water covered everything, we are obliged to saythat darkness was upon the face of the deep. "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters?" Does thisSpirit mean the diffusion of air? The sacred writer wishes to enumerateto you the elements of the world, to tell you that God created theheavens, the earth, water and air, and that the last was now diffusedand in motion; or rather, that which is truer and confirmed by theauthority of the ancients, by the Spirit of God he means the HolySpirit. It is, as has been remarked, the special name, the name aboveall others that Scripture delights to give to the Holy Spirit, and bythe Spirit of God the Holy Spirit is meant, the Spirit, namely, whichcompletes the divine and blessed Trinity. You will always find itbetter, therefore, to take it in this sense. How, then, did the Spiritof God move upon the waters? The explanation that I am about to give youis not an original one, but that of a Syrian who was as ignorant in thewisdom of this world as he was versed in the knowledge of the truth. He said, then, that the Syriac word was more expressive, and that, beingmore analogous to the Hebrew term, it was a nearer approach to theScriptural sense. This is the meaning of the word: by "moved" theSyrians, he says, understand brooded over. The Spirit cherished thenature of the waters as one sees a bird cover the eggs with her body andimpart to them vital force from her own warmth. Such is, as nearly aspossible, the meaning of these words--the Spirit moved: that is, prepared the nature of water to produce living beings: a sufficientproof for those who ask if the Holy Spirit took an active part in thecreation of the world. "And God said, Let there be light. " The first word uttered by Godcreated the nature of light; it made darkness vanish, dispelled gloom, illuminated the world, and gave to all being at the same time a sweetand gracious aspect. The heavens, until then enveloped in darkness, appeared with that beauty which they still present to our eyes. The airwas lighted up, or rather made the light circulate mixed with itssubstance, and, distributing its splendor rapidly in every direction, sodispersed itself to its extreme limits. Up it sprang to the very etherand heaven. In an instant it lighted up the whole extent of the world, the north and the south, the east and the west. For the ether also issuch a subtle substance and so transparent that it needs not the spaceof a moment for light to pass through it. Just as it carries our sightinstantaneously to the object of vision, so without the least interval, with a rapidity that thought can not conceive, it receives these rays oflight in its uttermost limits. With light the ether becomes morepleasing and the waters more limpid. These last, not content withreceiving its splendor, return it by the reflection of light and in alldirections send forth quivering flashes. The divine word gives everyobject a more cheerful and a more attractive appearance, just as whenmen pour in oil into the deep sea they make the place about them smooth. So, with a single word and in one instant the Creator of all things gavethe boon of light to the world. "Let there be light. " The order was itself an operation, and a state ofthings was brought into being than which man's mind can not even imaginea pleasanter one for our enjoyment It must be well understood that whenwe speak of the voice, of the word, of the command of God, this divinelanguage does not mean to us a sound which escapes from the organs ofspeech, a collision of air struck by the tongue; it is a simple sign ofthe will of God, and, if we give it the form of an order, it is only thebetter to impress the souls whom we instruct. "And God saw the light, that it was good. " How can we worthily praiselight after the testimony given by the Creator to its goodness? Theword, even among us, refers the judgment to the eyes, incapable ofraising itself to the idea that the senses have already received. But ifbeauty in bodies results from symmetry of parts and the harmoniousappearance of colors how, in a simple and homogeneous essence likelight, can this idea of beauty be preserved? Would not the symmetry inlight be less shown in its parts than in the pleasure and delight at thesight of it? Such is also the beauty of gold, which it owes, not to thehappy mingling of its parts, but only to its beautiful color, which hasa charm attractive to the eyes. Thus, again, the evening star is the most beautiful of the stars: notthat the parts of which it is composed form a harmonious whole, butthanks to the unalloyed and beautiful brightness which meets our eyes. And further, when God proclaimed the goodness of light, it was not inregard to the charm of the eye, but as a provision for future advantage, because at that time there were as yet no eyes to judge of its beauty. "And God divided the light from the darkness. " That is to say, God gavethem natures incapable of mixing, perpetually in opposition to eachother, and put between them the widest space and distance. "And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. " Sincethe birth of the sun, the light that it diffuses in the air when shiningon our hemisphere is day, and the shadow produced by its disappearanceis night. But at that time it was not after the movement of the sun, butfollowing this primitive light spread abroad in the air or withdrawn ina measure determined by God, that day came and was followed by night. "And the evening and the morning were the first day. " Evening is thenthe boundary common to day and night; and in the same way morningconstitutes the approach of night to day. It was to give day theprivileges of seniority that Scripture put the end of the first daybefore that of the first night, because night follows day: for, beforethe creation of light, the world was not in night, but in darkness. Itis the opposite of day which was called night, and it did not receiveits name until after day. Thus were created the evening and themorning. Scripture means the space of a day and a night, and afterwardno more says day and night, but calls them both under the name of themore important: a custom which you will find throughout Scripture. Everywhere the measure of time is counted by days without mention ofnights. "The days of our years, " says the Psalmist; "few and evil havethe days of the years of my life been, " said Jacob; and elsewhere "allthe days of my life. " "And the evening and the morning were the first day, " or, rather, oneday. --(_Revised Vers_). Why does Scripture say "one day, " not "the firstday?" Before speaking to us of the second, the third, and the fourthdays, would it not have been more natural to call that one the firstwhich began the series? If it, therefore, says "one day, " it is from awish to determine the measure of day and night and to combine the timethat they contain. Now, twenty-four hours fill up the space of oneday--we mean of a day and of a night; and if, at the time of thesolstices, they have not both an equal length, the time marked byScripture does not the less circumscribe their duration. It is as tho itsaid: Twenty-four hours measure the space of a day, or a day is inreality the time that the heavens, starting from one point, take toreturn thither. Thus, every time that, in the revolution of the sun, evening and morning occupy the world, their periodical succession neverexceeds the space of one day. But we must believe that there is a mysterious reason for this? God, whomade the nature of time, measured it out and determined it by intervalsof days; and, wishing to give it a week as a measure, he ordered theweek to resolve from period to period upon itself, to count the movementof time, forming the week of one day revolving seven times upon itself:a proper circle begins and ends with itself. Such is also the characterof eternity, to revolve upon itself and to end nowhere. If, then, thebeginning of time is called "one day" rather than "the first day, " it isbecause Scripture wishes to establish its relationship with eternity. Itwas, in reality, fit and natural to call "one" the day whose characteris to be one wholly separated and isolated from all others. If Scripturespeaks to us of many ages, saying everywhere "age of age, and ages ofages, " we do not see it enumerate them as first, second, and third. Itfollows that we are hereby shown, not so much limits, ends, andsuccession of ages as distinctions between various states and modes ofaction. "The day of the Lord, " Scripture says, "is great and veryterrible, " and elsewhere, "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord:to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and notlight. " A day of darkness for those who are worthy of darkness. No;this day without evening, without succession, and without end is notunknown to Scripture, and it is the day that the Psalmist calls theeighth day, because it is outside this time of weeks. Thus, whether youcall it day or whether you call it eternity, you express the same idea. Give this state the name of day; there are not several, but only one. Ifyou call it eternity still it is unique and not manifold. Thus it is inorder that you may carry your thoughts forward toward a future life thatScripture marks by the word "one" the day which is the type of eternity, the first-fruits of days, the contemporary of light, the holy Lord'sday. But while I am conversing with you about the first evening of the world, evening takes me by surprize and puts an end to my discourse. May theFather of the true light, who has adorned day with celestial light, whohas made to shine the fires which illuminate us during the night, whoreserves for us in the peace of a future age a spiritual and everlastinglight, enlighten your hearts in the knowledge of truth, keep you fromstumbling, and grant that "you may walk honestly as in the day. " Thusshall you shine as the sun in the midst of the glory of the saints, andI shall glory in you in the day of Christ, to whom belong all glory andpower for ever and ever. Amen. CHRYSOSTOM EXCESSIVE GRIEF AT THE DEATH OF FRIENDS BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Chrysostom (that is, "Of the Golden Mouth") was a title given to John, Archbishop of Constantinople. He was born of a patrician family atAntioch about 347, and owed much to the early Christian training of hisChristian mother, Anthusa. He studied under Libanius, and for a timepractised law, but was converted and baptized in 368. He made a profoundstudy of the Scriptures, the whole of which, it is said, he learned torepeat by heart. Like Basil and Gregory he began his religious life as a hermit in thedesert. After six years he returned to Antioch, where he gainedreputation as the greatest preacher in the Eastern Church. Raised to themetropolitan See of Constantinople in 397, his fulminations against thecorruptions of the court caused him to be banished, after a stormyministry of six years. He was recalled in response to popular clamor, but removed again, and shortly after died, in 407. He was a greatexegete, and showed a spirit of intellectual liberty which anticipatedmodern criticism. Sermons to the number of one thousand have beenattributed to him. CHRYSOSTOM347-407 EXCESSIVE GRIEF AT THE DEATH OF FRIENDS _But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning themwhich are asleep, that ye sorrow not. _--1 Thess. Iv. , 13. We have occupied four days in explaining to you the parable of Lazarus, bringing out the treasure that we found in a body covered with sores; atreasure, not of gold and silver and precious stones, but of wisdom andfortitude, of patience and endurance. For as in regard to visibletreasures, while the surface of the ground shows only thorns and briers, and rough earth, yet, let a person dig deep into it, abundant wealthdiscovers itself; so it has proved in respect to Lazarus. Outwardly, wounds; but underneath these, unspeakable wealth; a body pining away, but a spirit noble and wakeful. We have also seen an illustration ofthat remark of the apostle's--in proportion as the outward man perishes, the inward man is renewed. It would, indeed, be proper to address you to-day, also, on this sameparable, and to enter the lists with those heretics who censure the OldTestament, bringing accusations against the patriarchs, and whettingtheir tongues against God, the Creator of the universe. But to avoidwearying you and reserving this controversy for another time, let usdirect the discourse to another subject; for a table with only one sortof food produces satiety, while variety provokes the appetite. That itmay be so in regard to our preaching, let us now, after a long period, turn to the blest Paul; for very opportunely has a passage from theapostle been read to-day, and the things which are to be spokenconcerning it are in harmony with those that have lately been presented. Hear, then, Paul this day proclaiming--"I would not have you to beignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even asothers which have no hope. " The parable of Lazarus is the evangelicalchord; this passage is the apostolic note. And there is concord betweenthem; for we have, on that parable, said much concerning theresurrection and the future judgment, and our discourse now recurs tothat theme; so that, tho it is on apostolic ground we are now toiling, we shall here find the same treasure. For in treating the parable, ouraim was to teach the hearers this lesson, that they should regard allthe splendors of the present life as nothing, but should look forward intheir hopes, and daily reflect on the decisions which will be hereafterpronounced, and on that fearful judgment, and that Judge who can not bedeceived. On these things Paul has counseled us to-day in the passageswhich have been read to us. Attend, however, to his own words--"I wouldnot have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believethat Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesuswill God bring with him. "--I Thess. Iv. , 13, 14. We ought here, at the outset, to inquire why, when he is speakingconcerning Christ, he employs the word death; but when he is speaking ofour decease he calls it sleep, and not death. For he did not say, Concerning them that are dead: but what did he say? "Concerning themthat are asleep. " And again--"Even so them also which sleep in Jesuswill God bring with Him. " He did not say, Them that have died. Stillagain--"We who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shallnot prevent them that sleep. " Here, too, he did not say--Them that aredead; but a third time, bringing the subject to their remembrance, forthe third time called death a sleep. Concerning Christ, however, he didnot speak thus; but how? "For if we believe that Jesus died. " He did notsay, Jesus slept, but He died. Why now did he use the term death inreference to Christ, but in reference to us the term sleep? For it wasnot casually, or negligently, that he employed this expression, but hehad a wise and great purpose in so doing. In speaking of Christ, he saiddeath, so as to confirm the fact that Christ had actually suffereddeath; in speaking of us, he said sleep, in order to impart consolation. For where resurrection had already taken place, he mentions death withplainness; but where the resurrection is still a matter of hope, he sayssleep, consoling us by this very expression, and cherishing our valuablehopes. For he who is only asleep will surely awake; and death is no morethan a long sleep. Say not a dead man hears not, nor speaks, nor sees, nor is conscious. Itis just so with a sleeping person. If I may speak somewhatparadoxically, even the soul of a sleeping person is in some sortasleep; but not so the soul of a dead man; that is awake. But, you say, a dead man experiences corruption, and becomes dust andashes. And what then, beloved hearers? For this very reason we ought torejoice. For when a man is about to rebuild an old and tottering house, he first sends out its occupants, then tears it down, and rebuilds anewa more splendid one. This occasions no grief to the occupants, butrather joy; for they do not think of the demolition which they see, butof the house which is to come, tho not yet seen. When God is about todo a similar work, he destroys our body, and removes the soul which wasdwelling in it as from some house, that he may build it anew and moresplendidly, and again bring the soul into it with greater glory. Let usnot, therefore, regard the tearing down, but the splendor which is tosucceed. If, again, a man has a statue decayed by rust and age, and mutilated inmany of its parts, he breaks it up and casts it into a furnace, andafter the melting he receives it again in a more beautiful form. As thenthe dissolving in the furnace was not a destruction but a renewing ofthe statue, so the death of our bodies is not a destruction but arenovation. When, therefore, you see as in a furnace our flesh flowingaway to corruption, dwell not on that sight, but wait for the recasting. And be not satisfied with the extent of this illustration, but advancein your thoughts to a still higher point; for the statuary, casting intothe furnace a brazen image, does not furnish you in its place a goldenand undecaying statue, but again makes a brazen one. God does not thus;but casting in a mortal body formed of clay, he returns to you a goldenand immortal statue; for the earth, receiving a corruptible and decayingbody gives back the same, incorruptible and undecaying. Look not, therefore, on the corpse, lying with closed eyes and speechless lips, but on the man that is risen, that has received glory unspeakable andamazing, and direct your thoughts from the present sight to the futurehope. But do you miss his society, and therefore lament and mourn? Now is itnot unreasonable, that, if you should have given your daughter inmarriage, and her husband should take her to a distant country andshould there enjoy prosperity, you would not think the circumstance acalamity, but the intelligence of their prosperity would console thesorrow occasioned by her absence; and yet here, while it is not a man, nor a fellow servant, but the Lord Himself who has taken your relative, that you should grieve and lament? And how is it possible, you ask, not to grieve, since I am only a man?Nor do I say that you should not grieve: I do not condemn dejection, butthe intensity of it. To be dejected is natural; but to be overcome bydejection is madness, and folly, and unmanly weakness. You may grieveand weep; but give not way to despondency, nor indulge in complaints. Give thanks to God, who has taken your friend, that you have theopportunity of honoring the departed one, and of dismissing him withbecoming obsequies. If you sink under depression, you withhold honorfrom the departed, you displease God who has taken him, and you injureyourself; but if you are grateful, you pay respect to him, you glorifyGod, and you benefit yourself. Weep, as wept your Master over Lazarus, observing the just limits of sorrow, which it is not proper to pass. Thus also said Paul--"I would not have you to be ignorant concerningthem which are asleep, that ye sorrow not as others who have no hope. Grieve, " says he; "but not as the Greek, who has no hope of aresurrection, who despairs of a future life. " Believe me, I am ashamed and blush to see unbecoming groups of womenpass along the mart, tearing their hair, cutting their arms andcheeks--and all this under the eyes of the Greeks. For what will theynot say? What will they not declare concerning us? Are these the men whoreason about a resurrection? Indeed! How poorly their actions agree withtheir opinions! In words, they reason about a resurrection: but they actjust like those who do not acknowledge a resurrection. If they fullybelieved in a resurrection, they would not act thus; if they had reallypersuaded themselves that a deceased friend had departed to a betterstate, they would not thus mourn. These things, and more than these, theunbelievers say when they hear those lamentations. Let us then beashamed, and be more moderate, and not occasion so much harm toourselves and to those who are looking on us. For on what account, tell me, do you thus weep for one departed?Because he was a bad man? You ought on that very account to be thankful, since the occasions of wickedness are now cut off. Because he was goodand kind? If so, you ought to rejoice; since he has been soon removed, before wickedness had corrupted him, and he has gone away to a worldwhere he stands even secure, and there is no reason even to mistrust achange. Because he was a youth? For that, too, praise Him that has takenhim, because he has speedily called him to a better lot. Because he wasan aged man? On this account, also, give thanks and glorify Him that hastaken him. Be ashamed of your behavior at a burial. The singing ofpsalms, the prayers, the assembling of the (spiritual) fathers andbrethren--all this is not that you may weep, and lament, and afflictyourselves, but that you may render thanks to Him who has taken thedeparted. For as when men are called to some high office, multitudeswith praises on their lips assemble to escort them at their departure totheir stations, so do all with abundant praise join to send forward, asto greater honor, those of the pious who have departed. Death is rest, adeliverance from the exhausting labors and cares of this world. When, then, thou seest a relative departing, yield not to despondency; givethyself to reflection; examine thy conscience; cherish the thought thatafter a little while this end awaits thee also. Be more considerate; letanother's death excite thee to salutary fear; shake off all indolence;examine your past deeds; quit your sins, and commence a happy change. We differ from unbelievers in our estimate of things. The unbelieversurveys the heavens and worships them, because he thinks them adivinity; he looks to the earth and makes himself a servant to it, andlongs for the things of sense. But not so with us. We survey the heavensand admire Him that made them; for we do not believe them to be a god, but a work of God. I look on the whole creation, and am led by it to theCreator. He looks on wealth, and longs for it with earnest desire; Ilook on wealth, and contemn it. He sees poverty, and laments; I seepoverty, and rejoice. I see things in one light; he in another. Just soin regard to death. He sees a corpse, and thinks of it as a corpse; Isee a corpse, and behold sleep rather than death. And as in regard tobooks, both learned persons and unlearned see them with the same eyes, but not with the same understanding--for to the unlearned the mereshapes of letters appear, while the learned discover the sense that lieswithin those letters--so in respect to affairs in general, we all seewhat takes place with the same eyes, but not with the same understandingand judgment. Since, therefore, in all other things we differ fromthem, shall we agree with them in our sentiments respecting death? Consider to whom the departed has gone, and take comfort. He has gonewhere Paul is, and Peter, and the whole company of the saints. Considerhow he shall arise, with what glory and splendor. Consider that bymourning and lamenting thou canst not alter the event which hasoccurred, and thou wilt in the end injure thyself. Consider whom youimitate by so doing, and shun this companionship in sin. For whom do youimitate and emulate? The unbelieving, those who have no hope; as Paulhas said--"That ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. " Andobserve how carefully he expresses himself; for he does not say, Thosewho have not the hope of a resurrection, but simply, Those who have nohope. He that has no hope of a future retribution has no hope at all, nor does he know that there is a God, nor that God exercises aprovidential care over present occurrences, nor that divine justicelooks on all things. But he that is thus ignorant and inconsiderate ismore unwise than a beast, and separates his soul from all good; for hethat does not expect to render an account of his deeds cuts himselfloose from all virtue, and attaches himself to all vice. Consideringthese things, therefore, and reflecting on the folly and stupidity ofthe heathen, whose associates we become by our lamentations for thedead, let us avoid this conformity to them. For the apostle mentionsthem for this very purpose, that by considering the dishonor into whichthou fallest, thou mightest recover thyself from this conformity, andreturn to thy proper dignity. And not only here, but everywhere and frequently, the blest Paul doesthe same. For when he would dissuade from sin, he shows with whom webecome associated by our sins, that, being touched by the character ofthe persons, thou shouldest avoid such companionship. To theThessalonians, accordingly, he says, Let every one "possess his vesselin sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even asthe Gentiles which know not God. " And again--"Walk not as the otherGentiles in the vanity of their mind. " Thus also here--"I would not haveyou to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that yesorrow not even as others who have no hope. " For it is not the nature ofthings, but our own disposition, which makes us grieve; not the death ofthe departed, but the weakness of those who mourn. We ought, therefore, to thank God not only for the resurrection, butalso for the hope of it; which can comfort the afflicted soul, and bidus be of good cheer concerning the departed, for they will again riseand be with us. If we must have anguish, we should mourn and lament overthose who are living in sin, not over those who have died righteously. Thus did Paul; for he says to the Corinthians--"Lest when I come to youGod shall humble me among you and that I shall bewail many. " He was notspeaking of those who had died, but of those who had sinned and had notrepented of the lasciviousness and uncleanness which they had committed;over these it was proper to mourn. So likewise another writeradmonishes, saying--"Weep over the dead, for the light has failed; andweep over the fool, for understanding has failed" (Eccles. Xxii. , 10). Weep a little for the dead; for he has gone to his rest; but the fool'slife is a greater calamity than death. And surely if one devoid ofunderstanding is always a proper object of lamentation, much more hethat is devoid of righteousness and that has fallen from hope towardGod. These, then, let us bewail; for such bewailing may be useful. Foroften while lamenting these, we amend our own faults; but to bewail thedeparted is senseless and hurtful. Let us not, then, reverse the order, but bewail only sin; and all other things, whether poverty, or sickness, or untimely death, or calumny, or false accusation, or whatever humanevil befalls us, let us resolutely bear them all. For these calamities, if we are watchful, will be the occasions of adding to our crowns. But how is it possible, you ask, that a bereaved person, being a man, should not grieve? On the contrary, I ask, how is it that being a man heshould grieve, since he is honored with reason and with hopes of futuregood? Who is there, you ask again, that has not been subdued by thisweakness? Many, I reply, and in many places, both among us and amongthose who have died before us. Job, for instance; the whole circle ofhis children being taken away, hear what he says--"The Lord gave; theLord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. " A wonderfulsaying, even when merely heard; but if you examine it closely, yourwonder will greatly increase. For consider; Satan did not take merely half and leave half, or take thelarger number and leave the rest; but he gathered all the fruit, and yetdid not prevail in uprooting the tree; he covered the whole sea withwaves, and yet did not overwhelm the bark; he despoiled the tower of itsstrength, and yet could not batter it down. Job stood firm, tho assailedfrom every quarter; showers of arrows fell, but they did not wound him. Consider how great a thing it was, to see so many children perish. Wasit not enough to pierce him to the quick that they should all besnatched away?--altogether and in one day; in the flower of life;having shown so much virtue; expiring as by a stroke of vengeance; thatafter so many sorrows this last should be inflicted; that the father wasfond of them, and that the deceased were worthy of his affection. When aman loses vicious children, he does indeed suffer grief, but not intensegrief; for the wickedness of the departed does not allow the sorrow tobe poignant. But when children are virtuous, an abiding wound isinflicted, the remembrance is indelible, the calamity is inconsolable;there is a double sting, from nature, and from the virtuous character ofthe departed. That Job's children were virtuous, appears from the fact that theirfather was particularly solicitous in regard to them, and rising upoffered sacrifices in their behalf, fearing lest they might havecommitted secret sins; and no consideration was more important in hisesteem than this. Not only the virtue of the children is thus shown, butalso the affectionate spirit of the father. Since, therefore, the fatherwas so affectionate, showing not only a love for them which proceededfrom nature, but that also which came from their piety, and since thedeparted were thus virtuous, the anguish had a threefold intensity. Still further; when children are torn away separately, the suffering hassome consolation; for those that are left alleviate the sorrow over thedeparted; but when the whole circle is gone, to what one of all hisnumerous children can the childless man now look? Besides these causes of sorrow, there was a fifth stroke. What was that?That they were all snatched away at once. For if in the case of thosewho die after three or five days of sickness, the women and all therelatives bewail this most of all, that the deceased was taken away fromtheir sight speedily and suddenly, much more might he have beendistrest, when thus deprived of all, not in three days, or two, or one, but in one hour! For a calamity long contemplated, even if it be hard tobear, may fall more lightly through this anticipation; but that whichhappens contrary to expectation and suddenly is intolerable. Would you hear of a sixth stroke? He lost them all in the very flower oftheir age. You know how very overwhelming are untimely bereavements, andproductive of grief on many scores. The instance we are contemplatingwas not only untimely, but also violent; so that here was a seventhstroke. For their father did not see them expire on a bed, but they areall overwhelmed by the falling habitation. Consider then; a man wasdigging in that pile of ruins, and now he drew up a stone, and now alimb of a deceased one; he saw a hand still holding a cup, and anotherright hand placed on the table, and the mutilated form of a body, thenose torn away, the head crusht, the eyes put out, the brain scattered, the whole frame marred, and the variety of wounds not permitting thefather to recognize the beloved countenances. You suffer emotions andshed tears at merely hearing of these things: what must he have enduredat the sight of them? For if we, so long after the event, can not bearto hear of this tragedy, tho it was another man's calamity, what anadamant was he to look on these things, and contemplate them, not asanother's, but his own afflictions! He did not give way to dejection, nor ask, "What does this mean? Is this the recompense for my kindness?Was it for this that I opened my house, that I might see it made thegrave of my children? Did I for this exhibit every parental virtue, thatthey should endure such a death?" No such things did he speak, or eventhink; but steadily bore all, tho bereaved of them after bestowing onthem so much care. For as an accomplished statuary framing golden imagesadorns them with great care, so he sought properly to mold and adorntheir souls. And as a husbandman assiduously waters his palm-trees, orolives, inclosing them and cultivating them in every suitable way; so heperpetually sought to enrich each one's soul, as a fruitful olive, withincreasing virtue. But he saw the trees overthrown by the assault of theevil spirit, and exposed on the earth, and enduring that miserable kindof death; yet he uttered no reviling word, but rather blest God, thusgiving a deadly blow to the devil. Should you say that Job had many sons, but that others have frequentlylost their only sons, and that his cause of sorrow was not equal totheirs, you say well; but I reply, that Job's cause of sorrow was notonly equal, but far greater. For of what advantage was it to him that hehad many children? It was a severer calamity and a more bitter grief toreceive the wound in many bodies. Still, if you wish to see another holy man having an only son, andshowing the same and even greater fortitude, call to mind the patriarchAbraham, who did not indeed see Isaac die, but, what was much morepainful, was himself commanded to slay him, and did not question thecommand, nor repine at it, nor say, "Is it for this thou hast made me afather, that thou shouldest make me the slayer of my son? Better itwould have been not to give him at all, than having given him thus totake him away. And if thou choosest to take him, why dost thou commandme to slay him and to pollute my right hand? Didst thou not promise methat from this son thou wouldst fill the earth with my descendants? Howwilt thou give the fruits, then, if thou pluck up the root? How dostthou promise me a posterity, and yet order me to slay my son? Who eversaw such things, or heard of the like? I am deceived; I have beendeluded. " No such thing did he say, or even think; he said nothingagainst the command, he did not ask the reasons; but hearing theWord--"Take thy son, thine only son whom thou lovest, and carry him upto one of the mountains which I shall show thee, " he complied so readilyas even to do more than was commanded. For he concealed the matter fromhis wife, and he left the servants at the foot of the Mount in ignoranceof what was to be done, and ascended, taking only the victim. Thus notunwillingly, but with promptness, he obeyed the command. Think now whatit was, to be conversing alone with his son, apart from all others, whenthe affections are the more fervently excited, and attachment becomesstronger; and this not for one, or two, but for several days. To obeythe command speedily would have been wonderful; but not so wonderful as, while his heart was burdened and agitated for many days, to avoidindulging in human tenderness toward his son. On this account Godappointed for him a more extended arena, and a longer racecourse, thatthou mightest the more carefully observe his combatant. A combatant hewas indeed, contending not against a man, but against the force ofnature. What language can describe his fortitude? He brought forward hisson, bound him, placed him on the wood, seized the sacrificial knife, was just on the point of dealing the stroke. In what manner to expressmyself properly, I know not; he only would know, who did these things. For no language can describe how it happened that his hand did notbecome torpid, that the strength of his nerves did not relax, that theaffecting sight of his son did not overpower him. It is proper here, too, to admire Isaac. For as the one obeyed God, sodid the other obey his father; and as the one, at God's bidding him tosacrifice, did not demand an account of the matter, so the other, whenhis father was binding him and leading him to the altar, did not say, "Why art thou doing this?"--but surrendered himself to his father'shand. And then was to be seen a man uniting in his own person the fatherand the sacrificing priest; and a sacrifice offered without blood, awhole burnt offering without fire, an altar representing a type of deathand the resurrection. For he both sacrificed his son and he did notsacrifice him. He did not sacrifice him with his hand, but in hispurpose. For God gave the command, not through desire to see the flowingof the blood, but to give you a specimen of steady purpose, to makeknown throughout the world this worthy man, and to instruct all incoming time that it is necessary to prefer the command of God beforechildren and nature, before all things, and even life itself. And soAbraham descended from the Mount, bringing alive the martyr Isaac. Howcan we be pardoned then, tell me, or what apology can we have, if we seethat noble man obeying God with so much promptness and submitting to Himin all things, and yet we murmur at His dispensations? Tell me not ofgrief, nor of the intolerable nature of your calamity; rather considerhow in the midst of bitter sorrow you may yet rise superior to it. Thatwhich was commanded to Abraham was enough to stagger his reason, tothrow him into perplexity, and to undermine his faith in the past. Forwho would not have then thought that the promise which had been made himof a numerous posterity was all a deception? But not so Abraham. And notless ought we to admire Job's wisdom in calamity; and particularly, thatafter so much virtue, after his alms and various acts of kindness tomen, and tho aware of no wrong either in himself or his children, yetexperiencing so much affliction, affliction so singular, such as hadnever happened even to the most desperately wicked, still he was notaffected by it as most men would have been, nor did he regard his virtueas profitless, nor form any ill-advised opinion concerning the past. By these two examples, then, we ought not only to admire virtue, but toemulate and imitate it. And let no one say these were wonderful men. True, they were wonderful and great men. But we are now required to havemore wisdom than they, and than all who lived under the Old Testament. For "except your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. " Gathering wisdom, then, from all quarters, and considering what we are told concerning aresurrection and concerning these holy men, let us frequently recite itto our souls, not only when we are actually in sorrow, but also while weare free from distress. For I have now addrest you on this subject, thono one is in particular affliction, that when we shall fall into anysuch calamity, we may, from the remembrance of what has been said, obtain requisite consolation. As soldiers, even in peace, performwarlike exercises, so that when actually called to battle and theoccasion makes a demand for skill, they may avail themselves of the artwhich they have cultivated in peace; so let us, in time of peace, furnish ourselves with weapons and remedies, that whenever there shallburst on us a war of unreasonable passions, or grief, or pain, or anysuch thing, we may, well armed and secure on all sides, repel theassaults of the evil one with all skill, and wall ourselves round withright contemplations, with the declarations of God, with the examples ofgood men, and with every possible defense. For so shall we be able topass the present life with happiness, and to attain to the kingdom ofheaven, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, togetherwith the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. AUGUSTINE THE RECOVERY OF SIGHT BY THE BLIND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Saint Augustine (Aurelius Augustinus), one of the greatest theologicalfathers of the Church, was born at Tagaste, 354 A. D. , and became devotedto the study of Cicero. As a Manichean he occasioned great anxiety tohis mother Monica. Eventually embracing Christianity, he was baptized byAmbrose of Milan (387), on which occasion, tradition says, the Te Deumwas composed by himself and his baptizer. Appointed to the See of Hippoin 395, he threw himself into the conflict against heresy and schism, his principal opponents being the Donatists and Pelagians. His sermons, powerful as they are, disappoint the modern reader by their fantasticand allegorical interpretation of Scripture, but his "Confessions, " inwhich he details the history of his early life and conversion, present awonderful picture of personal experience. He is styled by Harnack "thefirst modern man. " He died at Hippo in 430. AUGUSTINE354-430 THE RECOVERY OF SIGHT BY THE BLIND _Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. _--Matt. Xx. , 30. I. Ye know, holy brethren, full well as we do, that our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ is the physician of our eternal health; and that to thisend we task the weakness of our natures, that our weakness might notlast forever. For He assumed a mortal body, wherein to kill death. And, "though He was crucified through weakness, " as the apostle saith, yet He"liveth by the power of God. " They are the words, too, of the sameapostle: "He dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him. " Thesethings, I say, are well known to your faith. And there is also thiswhich follows from them, that we should know that all the miracles whichHe did on the body avail to our instruction, that we may from themperceive that which is not to pass away, nor to have any end. Herestored to the blind those eyes which death was sure some time toclose; He raised Lazarus to life who was to die again. And whatever Hedid for the health of bodies, He did it not to this end that they shouldbe forever; whereas, at the last, He will give eternal health even tothe body itself. But because those things which were not seen were notbelieved; by means of those temporal things which were seen, He built upfaith in those things which were not seen. II. Let no one then, brethren, say that our Lord Jesus Christ doeth notthose things now, and on this account prefer the former to the presentages of the Church. In a certain place, indeed, the same Lord prefersthose who do not see and yet believe to them who see and thereforebelieve. For even at that time so irresolute was the infirmity of Hisdisciples that they thought that He whom they saw to have risen againmust be handled, in order that they might believe. It was not enough fortheir eyes that they had seen Him, unless their hands also were appliedto His limbs, and the scars of His recent wounds were touched: that thisdisciple, who was in doubt, might cry suddenly when he had touched andrecognized the scars, "My Lord and my God. " The scars manifested Him whohad healed all wounds in others. Could not the Lord have risen againwithout scars? Yes, but He knew the wounds which were in the hearts ofHis disciples, and to heal them He had preserved the scars on His ownbody. And what said the Lord to him who now confest and said, "My lord, and my God?" "Because thou hast seen, " He said, "thou hast believed;blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed. " Of whomspake He, brethren, but of us? Not that He spoke only of us, but ofthose also who shall come after us. For a little while when He haddeparted from the sight of men, that faith might be established in theirhearts, whosoever believed, believed tho they saw Him not, and great hasbeen the merit of their faith; for the procuring of which faith theybrought only the movement of a pious heart, and not the touching oftheir hands. III. These things, then, the Lord did to invite us to the faith. Thisfaith reigneth now in the Church, which is spread throughout the wholeworld. And now, He worketh greater cures, on account of which Hedisdained not then to exhibit those lesser ones. For as the soul isbetter than the body, so is the saving health of the soul better thanthe health of the body. The blind body doth not now open its eyes by amiracle of the Lord, but the blinded heart openeth its eyes to the wordof the Lord. The mortal corpse doth not now rise again, but the souldoth rise again which lay dead in a living body. The deaf ears of thebody are not now opened; but how many have the ears of their heartclosed, which yet fly open at the penetrating word of God, so that theybelieve who did not believe, and they live well who did live evilly, andthey obey who did not obey; and we say, "such a man is become abeliever, " and we wonder when we hear of them whom once we had known ashardened. Why, then, dost thou marvel at one who now believes, who isliving innocently, and serving God, but because thou dost behold himseeing, whom thou hadst known to be blind; dost behold him living whomthou hast known to be dead; dost behold him hearing whom thou hadstknown to be deaf? For consider that there are those who are dead inanother than the ordinary sense, of whom the Lord spoke to a certain manwho delayed to follow the Lord, because he wished to bury his father;"Let the dead, " said He, "bury their dead. " Surely these dead buriersare not dead in body; for if this were so, they could not bury deadbodies. Yet doth He call them dead; where but in the soul within? For aswe may often see in a household, itself sound and well, the master ofthe same house lying dead; so in a sound body do many carry a dead soulwithin; and these the apostle arouses thus, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. " It is thesame who giveth sight to the blind that awakeneth the dead. For it iswith His voice that the cry is made by the apostle to the dead. "Awakethou that sleepest. " And the blind will be enlightened with light, whenhe shall have risen again. And how many deaf men did the Lord see beforeHis eyes, when He said, "He that hath ears to hear let him hear. " Forwho was standing before Him without his bodily ears? What other ears, then, did He seek for, but those of the inner man? IV. Again, what eyes did He look for when He spake to those who sawindeed, but who saw only with the eyes of the flesh? For when Philipsaid to Him, "Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us": heunderstood, indeed, that if the Father were shown him, it might wellsuffice him; when He that was equal to the Father had sufficed not? Andwhy did He not suffice? Because He was not seen. And why was He notseen? Because the eye whereby He might be seen was not yet whole. Forthis, namely, that the Lord was seen in the flesh with the outward eyes, not only the disciples who honored Him saw, but also the Jews whocrucified Him. He, then, who wished to be seen in another way, soughtfor other eyes. And, therefore, it was that to him who said, "Show usthe Father, and it sufficeth us, " He answered, "Have I been so long timewith you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He who hath seen Mehath seen the Father also. " And that He might in the meanwhile heal theeyes of faith, He has first of all given him instructions regardingfaith, that so he might attain to sight. And lest Philip should thinkthat he was to conceive of God under the same form in which he then sawthe Lord Jesus Christ in the body, he immediately subjoined, "Believestthou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" He had alreadysaid, "He who hath seen me hath seen the Father also. " But Philip's eyewas not yet sound enough to see the Father, nor, consequently, to seethe Son, who is Himself coequal with the Father. And so Jesus Christtook in hand to cure, and with the medicine and salve of faith tostrengthen the eyes of his mind, which as yet were weak and unable tobehold so great a light, and He said, "Believest thou not that I am inthe Father, and the Father in Me?" Let not him, then, who can not yetsee what the Lord will one day show him, seek first to see what he is tobelieve; but let him first believe that the eye by which he is to seemay be healed. For it was only the form of the servant which wasexhibited to the eyes of servants; because if "He who thought it notrobbery to be equal with God" could have been now seen as equal with Godby those whom He wished to be healed, He would not have needed to emptyHimself and to take the form of a servant. But because there was no waywhereby God could be seen, but whereby man could be seen there was;therefore, He who was God was made man, that that which was seen mightheal that whereby He was not seen. For He saith Himself in anotherplace, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. " Philipmight, of course, have answered and said, Lord, do I see Thee? Is theFather such as I see Thee to be? Forasmuch as Thou hast said, "He whohath seen Me hath seen the Father also?" But before Philip answeredthus, or perhaps before he so much as thought it, when the Lord hadsaid, "He who hath seen Me hath seen the Father also, " He immediatelyadded, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father inme?" For with that eye he could not yet see either the Father, or theSon who is equal with the Father; but that his eye might be healed forseeing, he was anointed unto believing. So, then, before thou seest whatthou canst not now see, believe what as yet thou seest not. "Walk byfaith, " that thou mayest attain to sight. Sight will not gladden him inhis home whom faith consoleth not by the way. For, so says the apostle, "As long as we are in the body we are absent from the Lord. " And hesubjoins immediately why we are still "absent or in pilgrimage, " tho wehave now believed; "For we walk by faith, " he says; "not by sight. " V. Our whole business, then, brethren, in this life is to heal this eyeof the heart whereby God may be seen. To this end are celebrated theHoly Mysteries; to this end is preached the Word of God; to this end arethe moral exhortations of the Church, those, that is, that relate to thecorrections of manners, to the amendment of carnal lusts, to therenouncing the world, not in word only, but in a change of life: to thisend is directed the whole aim of the Divine and Holy Scriptures, thatthat inner man may be purged of that which hinders us from the sight ofGod. For as the eye which is formed to see this temporal light, a lighttho heavenly yet corporeal, and manifest, not to men only, but even tothe meanest animals (for this the eye is formed to this light); ifanything be thrown or falls into it, whereby it is disordered, is shutout from this light; and tho it encompasses the eye with its presence, yet the eye turns itself away from, and is absent from it; and tho itsdisordered condition is not only rendered absent from the light which ispresent, but the light to see which it was formed is even painful to it, so the eye of the heart too, when it is disordered and wounded, turnsaway from the light of righteousness, and dares not and can notcontemplate it. VI. And what is it that disorders the eye of the heart? Evil desire, covetousness, injustice, worldly concupiscence; these disorder, close, blind the eye of the heart. And yet, when the eye of the body is out oforder, how is the physician sought out, what an absence of all delay toopen and cleanse it, that they may be healed whereby this outward lightis seen! There is running to and fro, no one is still, no one loiters, if even the smallest straw fall into the eye. And God, it must beallowed, made the sun which we desire to see with sound eyes. Muchbrighter, assuredly, is He who made it; nor is the light with which theeye of the mind is concerned of this kind at all. That light is eternalwisdom. God made thee, O man, after His own image. Would He give theewherewithal to see the sun which He made, and not give thee wherewithalto see Him who made thee, when He made thee after His own image? He hathgiven thee this also; both hath He given thee. But much thou dost lovethese outward eyes, and despisest much that interior eye; it thou dostcarry about bruised and wounded. Yea, it would be a punishment to, ifthy Maker should wish to manifest Himself unto thee, it would be apunishment to thine eye, before that it is cured and healed. For so Adamin Paradise sinned, and hid himself from the face of God. As long, then, as he had the sound heart of a pure conscience, he rejoiced at thepresence of God; when that eye was wounded by sin, he began to dread thedivine light, he fled back into the darkness, and the thick covert oftrees, flying from the truth, and anxious for the shade. VII. Therefore, my brethren, since we too are born of him, and as theapostle says, "In Adam all die"; for we were all at first two persons;if we were loath to obey the physician, that we might not be sick; letus obey Him now, that we may be delivered from sickness. The Physiciangave us precepts, when we were whole; He gave us precepts that we mightnot need a physician. "They that are whole, " He saith, "need not aphysician, but they that are sick. " When whole, we despised theseprecepts, and by experience have felt how to our own destruction wedespised His precepts. Now we are sick, we are in distress, we are onthe bed of weakness; yet let us not despair. For because we could notcome to the Physician, He hath vouchsafed to come Himself to us. Thodespised by man when he was whole, He did not despise him when he wasstricken. He did not leave off to give other precepts to the weak, whowould not keep the first precepts, that he might not be weak; as tho Hewould say, "Assuredly thou hast by experience felt that I spoke thetruth when I said, Touch not this. Be healed then now, at length, andrecover the life thou hast lost. Lo, I am bearing thine infirmity; drinkthen the bitter cup. For thou hast of thine own self made those my sosweet precepts, which were given to thee when whole, so toilsome. Theywere despised, and so thy distress began; cured thou canst not be, except thou drink the bitter cup, the cup of temptations, wherein thislife abounds, the cup of tribulation, anguish, and suffering. Drinkthen, " He says, "drink, that thou mayest live. " And that the sick manmay not make answer, "I can not, I can not bear it, I will not drink";the Physician, all whole tho He be, drinketh first, that the sick manmay not hesitate to drink. For what bitterness is there in this cupwhich He hath not drunk? If it be contumely, He heard it first when Hedrove out the devils. "He hath a devil, and by Beelzebub He casteth outdevils. " Whereupon, in order to comfort the sick, He saith, "If theyhave called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall theycall them of His household?" If pains are this bitter cup, He was bound, and scourged, and crucified. If death be this bitter cup, He died also. If infirmity shrink with horror from any particular kind of death, nonewas at that time more ignominious than the death of the cross. For itwas not in vain, that the apostle, when setting forth His obedience, added, "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. " VIII. But because He designed to honor His faithful ones at the end ofthe world, He hath first honored the cross in this world; in such wisethat the princes of the earth who believe in Him have prohibited anycriminal from being crucified; and that cross which the Jewishpersecutors with great mockery prepared for the Lord, even kings, Hisservants, at this day, bear with great confidence on their foreheads. Only the shameful nature of the death which our Lord vouchsafed toundergo for us is not now so apparent, Who, as the apostle says, "Wasmade a curse for us. " And when, as He hung, the blindness of the Jewsmocked Him, surely He could have come down from the cross, who, if Hehad not so willed, had not been on the cross; but it was a greater thingto rise from the grave than to come down from the cross. Our Lord, then, in doing these divine and in suffering these human things, instructs usby His bodily miracles and bodily patience, that we may believe and bemade whole to behold those things invisible which the eye of the bodyhath no knowledge of. With this intent, then, He cured those blind menof whom the account has just now been read in the Gospel. And considerwhat instruction He has by this cure conveyed to the man who is sickwithin. IX. Consider the issue of the thing, and the order of the circumstances. Those two blind men sitting by the wayside cried out, as the Lord passedby, that He would have mercy upon them. But they were restrained fromcrying out by the multitude which was with the Lord. Now do not supposethat this circumstance is left without a mysterious meaning. But theyovercame the crowd who kept them back by the great perseverance of theircry, that their voice might reach the Lord's ears; as tho he had notalready anticipated their thoughts. So then the two blind men cried outthat they might be heard by the Lord, and could not be restrained by themultitude. The Lord "was passing by, " and they cried out. The Lord"stood still, " and they were healed. "For the Lord Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What wilt ye that I shall do unto you? Theysay unto Him, That our eyes may be opened. " The Lord did according totheir faith, He recovered their eyes. If we have now understood by thesick, the deaf, the dead, the sick, and deaf, and dead within; let uslook out in this place also for the blind within. The eyes of the heartare closed; Jesus passeth by that we may cry out. What is meant by"Jesus passeth by?" Jesus is doing things which last but for a time. What is meant by "Jesus passeth by?" Jesus doth things which pass by. Mark and see how many things of His have passed by. He was born of theVirgin Mary; is He being born always? As an infant He was suckled; is Hesuckled always? He ran through the successive ages of life until man'sfull estate; doth He grow in body always? Boyhood succeeded to infancy, to boyhood youth, to youth man's full stature in several passingsuccessions. Even the very miracles which He did are passed by; they areread and believed. For because these miracles are written that so theymight be read, they passed by when they were being done. In a word, notto dwell long on this, He was crucified; is He hanging on the crossalways? He was buried, He rose again, He ascended into heaven, now Hedieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him. And His divinityabideth ever, yea, the immortality of His body now shall never fail. Butnevertheless all those things which were wrought by Him in time havepassed by; and they are written to be read, and they are preached to bebelieved. In all these things, then, Jesus passeth by. X. And what are the two blind men by the wayside but the two people tocure whom Jesus came? Let us show these two people in the HolyScriptures. It is written in the Gospel, "Other sheep I have which arenot of this fold; them also must I bring, that there may be one fold andone Shepherd. " Who then are the two people? One the people of the Jews, and the other of the Gentiles. "I am not sent, " He saith, "but unto thelost sheep of the house of Israel. " To whom did He say this? To thedisciples; when that woman of Canaan, who confest herself to be a dog, cried out that she might be found worthy of the crumbs from the Master'stable. And because she was found worthy, now were the two people to whomHe had come made manifest, the Jewish people, to wit, of whom He said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel"; and thepeople of the Gentiles, whose type this woman exhibited, whom He hadfirst rejected, saying, "It is not meet to cast the children's bread tothe dogs"; and to whom, when she said, "Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat ofthe crumbs which fall from their master's table, " He answered, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. " For of thispeople also was that centurion of whom the same Lord saith, "Verily Isay unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel, "because he had said, "I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under myroof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. " So thenthe Lord even before His passion and glorification pointed out twopeople, the one to whom He had come because of the promises to theFathers, and the other whom for His mercy's sake He did not reject; thatit might be fulfilled which had been promised to Abraham, "In thy seedshall all the nations be blessed. " XI. Attend, now, dearly beloved. The Lord was passing by, and the blindmen cried out. What is this "passing by?" As we have already said, Hewas doing works which passed by. Now upon these passing works is ourfaith built up. For we believe on the Son of God, not only in that He isthe Word of God, by whom all things were made; for if He had alwayscontinued in the form of God, equal with God, and had not emptiedHimself in taking the form of a servant, the blind men would not evenhave perceived Him, that they might be able to cry out. But when hewrought passing works, that is, when He humbled Himself, having becomeobedient unto death, even the death of the cross, the two blind mencried out, Have mercy on us, thou Son of David. For this very thing thatHe, David's Lord and Creator, willed also to be David's son, He wroughtin time, He wrought passing by. XII. Now what is it, brethren, to cry out unto Christ, but to correspondto the grace of Christ by good works? This I say, brethren, lest haplywe cry aloud with our voices, and in our lives be dumb. Who is he thatcrieth out to Christ, that his inward blindness may be driven away byChrist as He is passing by, that is, as He is dispensing to us thosetemporal sacraments, whereby we are instructed to receive the thingswhich are eternal? Who is he that crieth out unto Christ? Whosodespiseth the world, crieth out unto Christ. Whoso despiseth thepleasures of the world, crieth out unto Christ. Whoso saith, not withhis tongue but with his life, the world is crucified unto me, and I untothe world, crieth out unto Christ. Whoso disperseth abroad and giveth tothe poor, that his righteousness may endure forever, crieth out untoChrist. For let him that hears, and is not deaf to the sound, sell thatye have, and give to the poor; provide yourselves bags which wax notold, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not; let him as he hears thesound as it were of Christ's footsteps passing by cry out in response tothis in his blindness; that is, let him do these things. Let his voicebe in his actions. Let him begin to despise the world, to distribute tothe poor his goods, to esteem as nothing worth what other men love, lethim disregard injuries, not seek to be avenged, let him give his cheekto the smiter, let him pray for his enemies; if any one who have takenaway his goods, let him not ask for them again; if he have takenanything from any man, let him restore fourfold. XIII. When he shall begin to do all this, all his kinsmen, relations, and friends will be in commotion. They who love the world will opposehim. What madness this! You are too extreme! What! Are not other menChristians? This is folly, this is madness. And other such like thingsdo the multitude; cry out to prevent the blind from crying out. Themultitude rebuked them as they cried out; but did not overcome theircries. Let them who wish to be healed understand what they have to do. Jesus is now also passing by; let them who are by the wayside cry out. These are they, who know God with their lips, but their heart is farfrom Him. These are by the wayside, to whom, as blinded in heart, Jesusgave His precepts. For when those passing things which Jesus did arerecounted, Jesus is always represented to us as passing by. For evenunto the end of the world there will not be wanting blind men sitting bythe wayside. Need then there is that they who sit by the wayside shouldcry out. The multitude that was with the Lord would repress the cryingof those who were seeking for recovery. Brethren, do you see my meaning?For I know not how to speak, but still less do I know how to be silent. I will speak then, and speak plainly. For I fear Jesus passing by andJesus standing still; and therefore I can not keep silence. Evil andunknown Christians hinder good Christians who are truly earnest and wishto do the commandments of God, which are written in the Gospel. Thismultitude which is with the Lord hinders those who are crying out, hinders those, that is, who are doing well, that they may not byperseverance be healed. But let them cry out, and not faint; let themnot be led away as if by the authority of numbers; let them not imitatethose who become Christians before them, who live evil lives themselves, and are jealous of the good deeds of others. Let them not say, "Let uslive as these so many live. " Why not rather as the Gospel ordains? Whydost thou wish to live according to the remonstrances of the multitudewho would hinder them, and not after the steps of the Lord who passethby? They will mock, and abuse, and call thee back; do thou cry out tillthou reach the ears of Jesus. For they who shall persevere in doing suchthings as Christ hath enjoined, and regard not the multitude that hinderthem, nor think much of their appearing to follow Christ, that is oftheir being called Christians; but who love the light which Christ isabout to restore to them more than they fear the uproar of those who arehindering them; they shall on no account be separated from Him, andJesus will stand still, and make them whole. XIV. For how are our eyes made whole? That as by faith we perceiveChrist passing by in the temporal economy, so we may attain to theknowledge of Him as standing still in His unchangeable eternity. Forthere is the eye made whole when the knowledge of Christ's divinity isattained. Let your love apprehend this; attend ye to the great mysterywhich I am to speak of. All the things which were done by our Lord JesusChrist, in time, graft faith in us. We believe on the Son of God, noton the word only, by whom all things were made; but on this very word, "made flesh that He might dwell among us"; who was born of the VirginMary; and the rest which the Faith contains, and which are representedto us that Christ might pass by, and that the blind, hearing Hisfootsteps as He passeth by, might by their works cry out, by their lifeexemplifying the profession of their faith. But now in order that theywho cry out may be made whole, Jesus standeth still. For he saw Jesusnow standing still, who says, "Though we have known Christ after theflesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. " For he saw Christ'sdivinity as far as in this life is possible. There is then in Christ thedivinity, and the humanity. The divinity standeth still, the humanitypasseth by. What means "the divinity standeth still?" It changeth not, is not shaken, doth not depart away. For He did not so come to us as todepart from the Father; nor did He so ascend as to change His place. When He assumed flesh, it changed place; but God assuming flesh, seeingHe is not in place, doth not change His place. Let us then be touched byChrist standing still, and so our eyes be made whole. But whose eyes?The eyes of those who cry out when He is passing by; that is, who dogood works through that faith which hath been dispersed in time, toinstruct in our infancy. XV. Now what thing more precious can we have than the eye made whole?They rejoice who see this created light which shines from heaven, oreven that which is given out from a lamp. And how wretched do they seemwho can not see this light? But wherefore do I speak, and talk of allthese things, but to exhort you all to cry out, when Jesus passeth by. Ihold up this light which perhaps ye do not see as an object of love toyou, holy brethren. Believe, while as yet ye see it not; and cry outthat ye may see. How great is thought to be the unhappiness of men whodo not see this bodily light? Does any one become blind; immediately itis said: "God is angry with him, he has committed some wicked deed. " Sosaid Tobias's wife to her husband. He cried out because of the kid, lestit had come of theft; he did not like to hear the sound of any stolenthing in his house; and she, maintaining what she had done, reproachedher husband; and when he said, "Restore it if it be stolen"; sheanswered insultingly, "Where are thy righteous deeds?" How great was herblindness who maintaineth the theft; and how clear a light he saw, whocommanded the stolen thing to be restored! She rejoiced outwardly in thelight of the sun; he inwardly in the light of righteousness. Which ofthem was in the better light? XVI. It is to the love of this light that I would exhort you, beloved;that ye would cry out by your works, when the Lord passeth by; let thevoice of faith sound out, that Jesus was standing still, that is, theunchangeable, abiding wisdom of God, and the majesty of the Word of God, by which all things were made, may open your eyes. The same Tobias, ingiving advice to his son, instructed him to this, to cry out; that is, he instructed him to good works. He told him to give to the poor, charged him to give alms to the needy, and taught him, saying, "My son, alms suffereth not to come into darkness. " The blind gave counsel forreceiving and gaining sight. "Alms, " saith he, "suffereth not to comeinto darkness. " Had his son in astonishment answered him, "What then, father, hast thou not given alms, that thou speakest to me in blindness;art not thou in darkness, and yet thou dost say to me, Alms sufferethnot to come into darkness?" But no, he knew well what the light wasconcerning which he gave his son instruction, he knew well what he sawin the inner man. The son held out his hand to his father, to enable himto dwell in heaven. XVII. To be brief; that I may conclude this sermon, brethren, with amatter which touches me very nearly, and gives me much pain, see whatcrowds there are which rebuke the blind as they cry out. But let themnot deter you. Whosoever among this crowd desire to be healed; forthere are many Christians in name, and in works ungodly; let them notdeter you from good works. Cry out amid the crowds that are restrainingyou, and calling you back, and insulting you, whose lives are evil. Fornot only by their voices, but by evil works, do wicked Christiansrepress the good. A good Christian has no wish to attend the publicshows. In this very thing, that he bridles his desire of going to thetheater, he cries out after Christ, cries out to be healed. Others runtogether thither, but perhaps they are heathens or Jews? Ah! indeed, ifChristians went not to the theaters, there would be so few people therethat they would go away for very shame. So then Christians run thitheralso, bearing the Holy Name only to their condemnation. Cry out then byabstaining from going, by repressing in thy heart this worldlyconcupiscence; hold on with a strong and persevering cry unto the earsof the Savior, that Jesus may stand still and heal thee. Cry out amidthe very crowds, despair not of reaching the ears of the Lord. For theblind man in the Gospel did not cry out in that quarter where no crowdwas, that so they might be heard in that direction, where there was noimpediment from persons hindering them. Amid the very crowds they criedout; and yet the Lord heard them. And so also do ye even amid sinners, and sensual men, amid the lovers of the vanities of the world, therecry out that the Lord may heal you. Go not to another quarter to cry outunto the Lord, go not to heretics and cry out unto Him there. Consider, brethren, how in that crowd which was hindering them from crying out, even there they who cried out were made whole. WYCLIF CHRIST'S REAL BODY NOT IN THE EUCHARIST BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE John Wyclif, eminent as scholar, preacher, and translator, was born in1324 in Spresswel, near Richmond, Yorkshire, England. Known as the"Morning Star of the Reformation" he was a vigorous and argumentativespeaker, exemplifying his own definition of preaching as something whichshould be "apt, apparent, full of true feeling, fearless in rebukingsins, and so addrest to the heart as to enlighten the spirit and subduethe will. " On these lines he organized a band of Bible preachers whoworked largely among the common people. Much of Wyclif's popularity was due to his clear and simple style. Whilenot a great orator, he introduced a popular method of preaching that waswidely copied. He died at Lutterworth in 1384. The Church considered hima heretic, for he taught the right of the individual to form his ownopinions after personal study of the Scriptures. He was the firstEnglishman to translate the Bible systematically into his nativeAnglo-Saxon. In 1428, by order of Pope Martin V, his bones were exhumedand burned, and the ashes thrown into the river Swale. WYCLIF1324-1384 CHRIST'S REAL BODY NOT IN THE EUCHARIST _This is my body_. --Matt. Xxvi. , 26. Now understand ye the words of our Savior Christ, as He spake them oneafter another--as Christ spake them. For He took bread and blest, andyet what blest He? The Scripture saith not that Christ took the breadand blest it, or that He blest the bread which He had taken. Thereforeit seemeth more that He blest His disciples and apostles, whom He hadordained witnesses of His passion; and in them He left His blest word, which is the bread of life, as it is written, "Not only in bread livethman, but in every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. " AlsoChrist saith, "I am the bread of life that came down from heaven. " AndChrist saith also in John, "The words that I have spoken to you arespirit and life. " Therefore it seemeth more that He blest His disciples, and also His apostles, in whom the bread of life was left more than inmaterial bread, for the material bread hath an end. As it is written inthe Gospel of Matthew xv. That Christ said, "All things that a maneateth go down into the belly, and are sent down into the draught;" butthe blessing of Christ kept His disciples and apostles, both bodily and[ghostly] spiritual. As it is written, that none of them perished butthe son of perdition, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, and oftenthe Scripture saith that Jesus took bread and brake it, and gave it tohis disciples, and said, "Take ye, eat ye, this is my body that shall begiven for you. " But He said not this bread is my body, or that breadshould be given for the life of the world. For Christ saith, What and ifye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? "It is theSpirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. " Also Christ saithin the Gospel, "Verily, verily I say unto you except the wheat corn fallinto the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die it bringethforth much fruit" Here men may see by the words of Christ that it behooved that He died inthe flesh, and that in His death was made the fruit of everlasting lifefor all them that believe on Him, as it is written "For as by Adam theyall die, even so by Christ shall all live, and every man in his ownorder; for as one clearness is in the sun, another in the moon, and astar in clearness is nothing in comparison to the sun; even so is therising again of the dead for we are sown in corruption and shall riseagain incorruptible, we are sown in infirmity, and shall rise again instrength; we are sown in natural bodies, and shall rise again spiritualbodies. " Then if Christ shall change thus our deadly bodies by death, and God the Father spared not his own Son, as it is written, but thatdeath should reign in him as in us, and that he should be translatedinto a spiritual body, as the first rising again of dead men; then howsay the hypocrites that take on them to make our Lord's body? Make theythe glorified body? Either make they again the spiritual body which isrisen from death to life or make they the fleshy body as it was beforehe suffered death? And if they say also that they make the spiritualbody of Christ, it may not be so, for what Christ said and did, He didas He was at supper before He suffered His passion; as it is writtenthat the spiritual body of Christ rose again from death to life. Alsothat He ascended up to heaven, and that He will abide there till He cometo judge the quick and the dead. And if they say that they make Christ'sbody as it was before He had suffered His passion, then must they needsgrant that Christ is to die yet. For by all Holy Scriptures He waspromised to die, and that He should give lordship of everlasting life. Furthermore, if they say that Christ made His body of bread, I ask, Withwhat words made He it? Not with these words, _Hoc est corpus meum_;that is to say in English, "This is my body, " for they are the words ofgiving, and not of making, which He said after that He brake the bread;then parting it among His disciples and apostles. Therefore if Christhad made of that bread His body, [He] had made it in His blessing, orelse in giving of thanks, and not in the words of giving; for if Christhad spoken of the material bread that He had in His hands when He said, _Hoc est corpus meum_, "This is my body, " it was made before, or elsethe word had been a lie. For if I say, This is my hand, and if it be nota hand, then am I a liar; therefore seek carefully if ye can find twowords of blessing, or of giving of thanks, wherewith Christ made hisbody and blood of the bread and wine. And that all the clerks of theearth know not, for if ye might find or know those words, then should yewax great masters above Christ, and then ye might be givers of Hissubstance, and as fathers and makers of Him, and that He should worshipyou, as it is written, Thou shalt worship thy father and mother. Of suchas desire such worship against God's law, speaketh St. Paul of the manof sin, that enhanceth himself as if he were God. And he is worshipedover all things as God, and showeth himself as he were God. Where ourclergy are guilty in this, judge ye or they that know most, for they saythat when ye have said, _Hoc est corpus meum_, that is to say, "This ismy body;" which ye call the words of consecration, or else of making;and when they are said over the bread, ye say that there is left nobread, but it is the body of the Lord. So that in the bread thereremaineth nothing but a heap of accidents, as witness ruggedness, roundness, savor, touching, and tasting, and such other accidents. Then, if thou sayest that the flesh and blood of Christ, that is to say, hismanhood, is made more, or increased by so much as the ministration ofbread and wine is, the which ye minister--if ye say it is so--then thoumust needs consent that the thing which is not God today shall be Godtomorrow; yea, and that the thing which is without spirit of life, butgroweth in the field by kind, shall be God at another time. And we allought to believe that He was without beginning, and without ending; andnot made, for if the manhood of Christ were increased every day by somuch as the bread and wine draweth to that ye minister, He shouldincrease more in one day by cart-loads than He did in thirty-two yearswhen He was here in earth. And if thou makest the body of the Lord in those words, _Hoc est corpusmeum_; that is to say, "This is my body"; and if thou mayest make thebody of the Lord in those words, "This is my body, " thou thyself must bethe person of Christ, or else there is a false God; for if it be thybody as thou sayest, then it is the body of a false knave or of adrunken man, or of a thief, or of a lecherer, or full of other sins, andthen there is an unclean body for any man to worship for God! For evenif Christ had made there His body of material bread in the said words, as I know they are not the words of making, what earthly man had powerto do as He did? For in all Holy Scripture, from the beginning ofGenesis to the end of the Apocalypse, there are no words written of themaking of Christ's body; but there are written that Christ was the Sonof the Father, and that He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and that hetook flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, and that He was dead, and thatHe rose again from death on the third day, and that He ascended toheaven very God and man, and that we should believe in all Scripturesthat are written of Him, and that He is to come to judge the quick andthe dead, and that the same Christ Jesus, King and Savior, was at thebeginning with the Father and the Holy Ghost, making all things ofnaught, both heaven and earth, and all things that are therein; workingby word of His virtue, for He said, Be it done, and it was done, whoseworks never earthly man might comprehend, either make. And yet the wordsof the making of these things are written in the beginning of Genesis, even as God spake them; and if ye can not make the work that He made, and have the word by which He made it, how shall ye make Him that madethe works? You have no words of authority or power left you on earth bywhich ye should do this, but ye have feigned this craft of your falseerrors, which some of you understand not; for it is prophesied, "Theyshall have eyes and see not, and ears and hear not; and shall seeprophesies, and shall not understand, less they be converted; for I hidethem from the hearts of those people; their hearts are greatly fatted. "And this thing is done to you for the wickedness of your errors inunbelief; therefore be ye converted from the worst sin, as it iswritten, "When Moses was in the hill with God, " the people made a calfand worshiped it as God. And God spake to Moses, "Go, for the peoplehave done the worst sin to make and worship alien gods. " But now I shall ask you a word; answer ye me, Whether is the body of theLord made at once or at twice? Is it both the flesh and the blood in thehost of the bread; or else is the flesh made at one time, and the bloodmade at another time; that is to say, the wine in the chalice? If thouwilt say it is full and wholly the manhood of Christ in the host ofbread, both flesh and blood, skin, hair, and bones, then makest thou usto worship a false god in the chalice, which is unconjured when yeworship the bread; and if ye say the flesh is in the bread, and theblood in the wine, then thou must grant, if thy craft be true, as it isnot indeed, that the manhood of Christ is parted, and that He is made attwo times. For first thou takest the host of bread, or a piece of bread, and makest it as ye say, and the innocent people worship it. And thenthou takest to thee the chalice, and likewise marrest, makest, I wouldhave said, the blood in it, and then they worship it also, and if it beso as I am sure that the flesh and blood of Christ ascended, then are yefalse harlots to God and to us; for when we shall be houselled ye bringto us the dry flesh, and let the blood be away; for ye give us after thebread, wine and water, and sometimes clean water unblest, or ratherconjured, by the virtue of your craft; and yet ye say, under the host ofbread is the full manhood of Christ. Then by your own confession must itneeds be that we worship a false god in the chalice, which is unconjuredwhen we worship the bread, and worship the one as the other; but wherefind ye that ever Christ or any of His disciples taught any man toworship this bread or wine? Therefore, what shall we say of the apostles that were so much withChrist, and were called by the Holy Ghost; had they forgotten to set itin the creed when they made it, which is Christian men's belief? Or elsewe might say that they knew no such God, for they believe in no moregods but in Him that was at the beginning, and made of naught allthings visible and invisible, which Lord took flesh and blood, being inthe Virgin, the same God. But ye have many false ways, to beguile theinnocent people with sleights of the fiend. For ye say that in every host each piece is the whole manhood of Christ, or full substance of Him. For ye say as a man may take a glass, andbreak the glass into many pieces, and in every piece properly thoumayest see thy face, and yet thy face is not parted; so ye say theLord's body is in each host or piece, and His body is not parted. Andthis is a full subtle question to beguile an innocent fool, but will yetake heed of this subtle question, how a man may take a glass and beholdthe very likeness of his own face, and yet it is not his face, but thelikeness of his face; for if it were his very face, then he must needshave two faces, one on his body and another in the glass. And if theglass were broken in many places, so there should be many faces more bythe glass than by the body, and each man shall make as many faces tothem as they would; but as ye may see the mind or likeness of your face, which is not the very face; but the figure thereof, so the bread is thefigure or mind of Christ's body in earth, and therefore Christ said, Asoft as ye do this thing do it in mind of me. Also ye say this, As a man may light many candles at one candle, andyet the light of that candle is never the more nor ever the less; so yesay that the manhood of Christ descendeth into each part of every host, and the manhood of Christ is never the more nor less. Where thenbecometh your ministrations? For if a man light many candles at onecandle, as long as they burn there will be many candles lighted, and aswell the last candle as the first; and so by this reason, if ye shallfetch your word at God, and make God, there must needs be many gods, andthat is forbidden in the first commandment, Exod. Xx. And as for makingmore, either making less, of Christ's manhood, it lieth not in yourpower to come there nigh, neither to touch it, for it is ascended intoheaven in a spiritual body, which He suffered not Mary Magdalen totouch, when her sins were forgiven to her. Therefore all the sacraments that are left here in earth are but mindsof the body of Christ, for a sacrament is no more to say but a sign ormind of a thing passed, or a thing to come; for when Jesus spake of thebread, and said to His disciples, As ye do this thing, do it in mind ofme, it was set for a mind of good things passed of Christ's body; butwhen the angel showed to John the sacraments of the woman and of thebeast that bare her, it was set for a mind of evil things to come on theface of the earth, and great destroying of the people of God. And inthe old law there were many figures or minds of things to come. Forbefore Christ, circumcision was commanded by a law; and he that kept notthe law was slain. And yet St. Paul saith, "And neither is itcircumcision that is openly in the flesh, but he that is circumcised ofheart in spirit, not the letter whose praising is not of men, but ofGod. " Peter saith in the third chapter of his epistle, "And so baptismof like form maketh not us safe, but the putting away of the filthinessof the flesh, and the having of good conscience in God by the risingagain of our Lord Jesus Christ from death, that we should be made heirsof everlasting life, He went up into heaven, and angels, and powers, andvirtues, are made subjects to Him. " And also the Scripture saith of John Baptist, that he preached in thewilderness and said, "A stronger than I shall come after me, and I amnot worthy to kneel down and unlace His shoe;" and yet Christ said thathe was more than a prophet. See also Isaiah xl. , Matt. Xi. How may yethen say that ye are worthy to make His body, and yet your works bearwitness that ye are less than the prophets? for if ye were not, yeshould not teach the people to worship the sacraments or minds of Christfor Christ himself; which sacraments or figures are lawful as God taughtthem and left them unto us, as the sacrifices or minds of the old lawwere full good. As it is written, "They that kept them should live inthem. " And so the bread that Christ brake was left to us for mind ofthings passed for the body of Christ, that we should believe He was avery man in kind as we are, but as God in power, and that His manhoodwas sustained by food as ours. For St. Paul saith He was very man, andin form he was found as man. And so we must believe that He was very Godand very man together, and that He ascended up very God and very man toheaven, and that He shall be there till He come to doom the world. Andwe may not see him bodily, being in this life, as it is written, Peter i. , for he saith, "Whom ye have not seen ye love, into whom ye now notseeing believe. " And John saith in the first chapter of his Gospel, "Noman saw God; none but the only begotten Son that is in the bosom of theFather, He hath told it out. " And John saith in his first epistle, thethird chapter, "Every man that sinneth seeth not him, neither knowethhim. " By what reason then say ye that are sinners that ye make God?truly this must needs be the worst sin, to say that ye make God, and itis the abomination of discomfort that is said in Daniel the prophet tobe standing in the holy place; he that readeth let him understand. Also Luke saith that Christ took the cup after that He had supped, andgave thanks and said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood thatshall be shed unto the remission of sins for man. " Now, what say ye; thecup which He said was the new testament in His blood, was it a materialcup in which the wine was that He gave his disciples wine of, or was itHis most blest body in which the blest blood was kept till it was shedout for the sins of them that should be made safe by His passion? Needsmust we say that He spake of His holy body, as He did when He called Hispassion or suffering in body a cup, when He prayed to His father, beforeHe went to His passion, and said, "If it be possible that this cup passfrom me, but if thou wilt that I drink it, thy will be done?" He spakenot here of the material cup in which He had given His disciples drink;for it troubled not Him, but He prayed for His great sufferance andbitter death, the which He suffered for our sins and not for His own. And if He spake of His holy body and passion when He said, "This cup isthe new testament in my blood, " so He spake of His holy body when Hesaid, "This is my body which shall be given for you, " and not of thematerial bread which He had in His hand. Also in another place He calledHis passion a cup, where the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him, andasked of Him that her two sons, when He came to His kingdom, might sitone on His right, and one at His left side. And He answered and said, "Woman, thou wottest not what thou asketh; then He said to them, May yedrink of the cup that I shall drink? and they said, Yea, Lord. And Hesaid, Ye shall drink of my cup, but to sit on my right hand or left handit is not mine to give, but to the Father it is proper. " But in that Hesaid, Ye shall drink of my cup, He promised them to suffer tribulationof this world as He did, by the which they should enter into lifeeverlasting, and to be both on his right hand. And thus ye may see thatChrist spake not of the material cup, neither of himself, nor of hisapostles, neither of material bread, neither of material wine. Thereforelet every man wisely, with meek prayers, and great study, and alsocharity, read the words of God and holy Scriptures; but many of you arelike the mother of Zebedee's sons to whom Christ said, "Thou knowest notwhat thou askest. " So, many of you know not what ye ask, nor what youdo; for if ye did, ye would not blaspheme God as ye do, to set an alienGod instead of the living God. Also Christ saith, "I am a very vine;wherefore then worship ye not the vine God, as ye do the bread? Whereinwas Christ a very vine, or wherein was the bread Christ's body, infigurative speech, which is hidden to the understanding? Then if Christbecame not a material or an earthly vine, neither did a material vinebecome His body. So neither the bread, material bread, was changed fromits substance to the flesh and blood of Christ. " Have ye not read in John the second, when Christ came into the temple, they asked of Him what token He would show, that they might believe Him. And He answered them, "Cast down this temple, and in three days I shallraise it again;" which words were fulfilled in His rising again fromdeath; but when He said, "Undo this temple, " in that that He said this, they were in error, for they understood it fleshly, and had supposedthat He had spoken of the temple of Jerusalem, because He stood in it. And therefore they accused Him at His passion full falsely. For He spakeof the temple of His blest body, which rose again in the third day. Andright so Christ spake of His holy body when He said, "This is my bodywhich shall be given for you, " which was given to death, and to risingagain to bliss, for all that shall be saved by him. But like as theyaccused him falsely of the temple of Jerusalem, so now a days theyaccuse falsely against Christ, and say that Christ spake of the breadthat He brake among His apostles; for in that Christ said this, they aredeceived, take it fleshly, and turn it to the material bread, as theJews did to the temple; and on this false understanding they makeabomination of discomfort, as is said by Daniel the prophet, and inMatthew xxiv. , to be standing in the holy place; he that readeth let himunderstand. Now, therefore, pray we heartily to God, that this evil may be madeshort for the chosen men, as He hath promised in His blest Gospel; andthe large and broad way that leadeth to perdition may be stopt, and thestraight and narrow way that leadeth to bliss may be made open by HolyScriptures, that we may know which is the will of God, to serve Him intruth and holiness in the dread of God, that we may find by Him a way ofbliss everlasting. So be it. SAVONAROLA THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Girolamo Savonarola was born at Ferrara in 1452, and was admitted in1475 into the novitiate of the Dominican Order, where he soon madehimself conspicuous for eloquence, and in Florence attracted manyhearers by his diatribes against corruption. Florence, having lost itsindependence as a republic, was completely under the sway of the Medici, who became arrayed against Savonarola, who aimed at establishing anideal Christian commonwealth. When he attacked the Pope Alexander VI. His doom was practically sealed. In 1495 he was forbidden to appear inthe pulpit, and four years later was excommunicated. He rebelled againstpapal authority, but the people of Florence grew tired of the strictrule of conduct imposed by his teaching, and he was imprisoned and triedfor heresy and sedition. On May 23, 1498, he was hanged and his bodyburned. His puritanism, his bold rebuking of vice, his defiance of everyauthority excepting that of his own conscience, seem to anticipate theefforts made by Calvin to regenerate Geneva. Both men failed in theirsplendid attempts at social reformation, but both left an example ofheroic altho somewhat short-sighted unselfishness, which has borne fruitin history. SAVONAROLA1452--1498 THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST[1] [Footnote 1: Reprinted by permission of Messrs. G. P. Putnam's Sons from"The World's Orations, " the translation having been copyrighted byMessrs. Putnams. ] _While he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up intoheaven_. --Luke xxiv. , 51. Beloved in Christ Jesus, the wise men of this world divide all createdthings into two classes; one class they name substances, the otheraccidents. The substances are those things that exist through themselveswithout requiring anything else on which to rest, as the earth, water, air, the heavens, animals, stones, plants, and similar things. Theaccidents can not exist by themselves, but only by resting on somethingelse, as color, odor, taste, and other such things. But because ourknowledge is entirely through the senses, and we are able to knowanything only when its accidents fall upon our senses, we have, therefore, knowledge of the accidents rather than of the substances. Theeyes are for colors, the ears for sounds, the nose for scents, thetongue for flavors, the touch for heat and cold, for hard and soft. Eachsense has its own sphere of knowledge and brings what it has perceivedbefore the imagination, and this hands it over to the reason within, which reads and illuminates the productions of the imagination, judgesthem, and in this way comes to a knowledge of the substances. But thereason has little light if it is separated from the body, for God hasjoined soul and body together; and so by means of the senses knowledgebecomes definite and complete. For if the soul out of the body werericher in knowledge, it would be in vain that it should be in the body. God and nature have done nothing in vain, and therefore the soul's unionwith the body ministers to its perfection. The soul's knowledge, however, will not be complete so long as it livesin this mortal body. It does not while here come to the fundamentaldistinctions and causes of the substances, because it is obliged to knowthe inner side of things through their externals. Therefore man is ableonly imperfectly to know an incorporeal substance; how much less can heknow the uncreated infinite being of God? But if he can not know thebeing of God, he will not be able to know many other infinite thingswhich are in Him. We ought therefore not to be surprized that there ismuch in God which we can not understand, and that very many truths ofthe faith we can not yet prove since we do not yet know everything. Thegreat God in His rich mercy saw our poor knowledge and came into ourflesh and assumed it that He might work for us, die, and rise againfrom the dead; until after a life full of love He raised Himself abovethe world of sense into His eternity. But so long as our Redeemer livedwith His apostles they loved too much that which they saw of Him, because they were bound down to their senses, and were therefore unableto rise to the knowledge of His Spirit. It was necessary that He shoulddisappear in the heavens that He might lift their souls far above theworld of sense up to Himself. Their natural powers could not do this;therefore He gave to His elect a light from above. Ascending on high Heled captivity captive, for ascending into the heavens He took with Himthe prey which the devil had made of the soul of men ever since the fallof our parents. The Lord has given gifts unto men (Eph. Iv. 8), inasmuchas He has imparted to them the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Now theyleave everything of this world, and rise above by following Christ, whogives to them for a light the light of faith. Let us speak this morningof this faith which leads to the Savior. "Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light. " Be not heldcaptive by flesh and sense, which hold thee fast in sleep; rise toChrist, He will give thee light. See, His flesh is above. What do ye sayto that, ye wise men of this world? Everything that has weight tendsdownward, but His flesh is of thy heart. Thou hast refused the serviceof the Lord, who has ascended to prepare for thee the highest glory. I call upon all men and women, all whose lives are ruined in sorrows andtroubles. What do ye fear? He who believes that Christ is above nolonger fears anything. Come then all ye into His service. Jesus reprovedthe unbelief and the hard-heartedness of His disciples, because they didnot believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Without faith itis impossible to please God. No doubt the apostles said: How can webelieve these women? But these women were of pure heart before God, andtherefore the Savior reproved His disciples. Ye deserve still sharperreprimands. To the disciples a few women announced the news that He hadrisen. Ye hear all this, and in addition all the glorious revelations inwhich the Lord after this manifested Himself on earth. Why do ye notcome to serve Christ? Ye do not truly believe, because ye are so full ofsin, and despise God's commandments. Ye do not deserve the gift offaith. He who has faith should show it in his deeds, that he may havewhat he says he has, and may know what he has; namely, the certainty ofthe divine word, which can not err, the goodness of God, and Hisguidance into all goodness. On account of thy sins, thou hast not thetrue light which would have enabled thee to see all goodness. Thou artsunk in vice, drunken with greed and luxury, and all the works of thisworld. Thou seekest only power and glory. And wherefore? If thou hadstfaith, thou wouldst not seek such things, for thou wouldst know thatfaith would give thee a much higher crown. From these sins have come thyunbelief and thy hardness of heart. Therefore the words of faith do nottouch thy heart: it is a heart of stone and iron. Throw off thy load ofsin and give thy will to righteousness; then will thy hard-heartednessend, and God will bestow on thee the gift of faith. What wilt thou? Whystandest thou so uncertain and irresolute? Why dost thou not hasten toHim, and see how He leaves thy life, how He goes into the heavens, towhich He bids thee come up. Leave at length thy sensual life and enterthe pathway of Christ. Hesitate no longer, begin to-day, put it not offuntil to-morrow. If thou hast faith, thou canst not delay longer, and ifthy heart is right before God, He will give thee the light of faithwhich will enable thee to distinguish the false from the true faith, andso when on the right road not to fall into error. Then wilt thou knowfor thyself that the Gospel makes good men out of those who trulybelieve, and thine experience will tell thee that thou hast no occasionto doubt. A story from the Old Testament might perhaps serve as a parable and makeclearer what I mean. When Balak heard of Israel's march, he was afraidand sent to call Balaam to curse Israel for him. Balaam set out on hisway with his ass, accompanied by an angel of the Lord, because Balaamwas going to Balak with an evil intention. The beast sought in vain toturn into the field, and finally fell down between two walls, andsuffered under blows and curses, until the prophet saw the angel andperceived his sin. Balak is the devil who would ruin the people of God;by Balaam we can understand the nobles, the prelates, the preachers, thelearned, who are held captive by their arrogance. The two servants arethose who follow the proud, serve them, and flatter them, especially thelazy clergy and monks, who so far as outward show goes live a virtuouslife, but who live for ceremonies and take care not to speak the truth. To these belong many citizens who live apparently virtuously and hidetheir pride. Because they commit no sins of the flesh which can benoticed, they are full of piety in their outward ceremonies, but withinfull of arrogance. These are the members of the devil, for the devilneither eats, drinks, nor sleeps, he is neither a miser nor a wanton, but is within full of pride as are these. By the ass we are tounderstand the simple people. They are led in the way of sin by theceremonies of the lazy, since they are not thought fit for the worshipof the heart, and must be led by masses, penance, and indulgences, andthey throw away what might be of profit for money and for candles. Thelazy give them council in their sermons: Give some vestment, build achapel, and thou wilt be freed from any danger of going to hell. Do notbelieve these mountebanks; no outward act can bring you to Paradise, noteven miracles and prophecy, but only the grace of God, if you havehumility and love. .. . Before the ass stood an angel with a sword. Thisis Christ, who speaks to the ass: Walk no longer in the path of sin, forI have ready for you a great scourge. The ass alone saw the angel; forthe simple first hear the word of the Lord, but Balaam and such as arewith him will hear nothing of it. The ass left the path of captivity andwent out into the field, into the way of the Lord. "For the kingdom ofheaven is like treasure hid in a field; which when a man found he soldall that he had and bought that field. " So the simple go into the holyfield of the Scriptures and say: "Let me look around a little, for theflowers of this field bear fruit. " Yea, our fathers, the prophets, apostles, and martyrs bore fruit, they who died with joy for the truth. These are they who go into the field and speak the truth in the face ofdeath. Come into the city, where the nobles and the masters takencaptive by sin crowd together, cry the lazy troop of monks: O fathers, it would be well if when you spoke of these things, you touched notthis string, by which you allow yourselves to fall into disgrace anddisfavor. They have said that already to me. Our persecution begins ifwe begin to preach. But Jesus was willing to die for the truth of whatHe said; should we forsake the truth in order not to displease men? No, we will say it in every way, and with Balaam's ass go into the field. Think not that I am such a fool as to undertake these things withoutgood reason. I call heaven and earth to witness against me if I do notspeak the truth. For against all the world is my sermon; every onecontradicts it. If I go about with lies, then I have Christ against me;therefore I have heaven and earth against me, and how then could Istand? As such a trifler with holy things how should I dare rise up?Believe me, I speak the truth, I have seen it with my eyes, and touchedit with my hands. Believe it! If I speak not the truth, I consign myselfbody and soul to destruction; but I tell you I am certain of the truth, and I would that all were as I am. I say that of the truth on which Istand, not as tho I wished that others had my failings as well. So comethen into the service of Jesus; come to the truth, come here, I bid you. Do ye not know how I explained the revelation of St. John? There weremany who said that I spoke too much in detail, and went too deep intoit. There stood the angel before the ass, and wanted it to go out intothe field, but Balaam smote it; and ye know not how much opposition Imust yet undergo. The lazy monks were the first who called me a fool andrevolutionist, and on the other side stood the weak and the simple, whosaid in their innocent faith: "Oh, if we could only do what He teaches!"Then I had war with the citizens and the great judges of this time, whommy manner of preaching did not please. I was between two walls; theangel warned me, threatening eternal death from this road, and Ireceived Balaam's blows. Ye know my persecution and my danger; but Iknew that I was on the way to victory and said always: No human beingcan drive my cause from the world. Balaam, thou leanest thy foot againstthe walls, but do as thou wilt, I will crush thy foot; I leaned on thewall, on Christ, I leaned on His grace, I hoped; leave off thine angerand threatening, thou canst not get me away from the wall. I say to allof you: Come to the truth, forsake your vice and your malice, that I maynot have to tell you of your grief. I say it to you, O Italy, I say itto you, O Rome, I say it to all of you; return and do penance. Therestands before you the holy truth; she can not fall; she can not bend orgive way; wait not until the blows fall. In everything am I opprest; even the spiritual power is against me withPeter's mighty key. Narrow is my path and full of trouble; like Balaam'sass, I must throw myself on the ground and cry: "See, here I am; I amready to die for the truth. " But when Balaam beat his fallen beast, itsaid to him: "What have I done to thee?" So I say to you: "Come here andtell me: what have I done to you? Why do you beat me? I have spoken thetruth to you; I have warned you to choose a virtuous life; I have ledmany souls to Christ. " But you answer: "Thou hast spoken evil of us, therefore, thou shouldst suffer the stripes thou deservest. " But I namedno one, I only blamed your vices in general. If you have sinned, beangry with yourselves, not with me. I name none of you, but if the sinsI have mentioned are without question yours, then they and not I makeyou known. As the smitten beast asked Balaam, so I ask you: "Tell me, amI not your ass? and do you not know that I have been obedient to you upto this very moment, that I have even done what my superiors havecommanded, and have always behaved myself peaceably?" You know this, andbecause I am now so entirely different, you may well believe that agreat cause drives me to it. Many knew me as I was at first; if Iremained so I could have had as much honor as I wanted. I lived sixyears among you, and now I speak otherwise, nevertheless I announce toyou the truth that is well known. You see in what sorrows and whatopposition I must now live, and I can say with Jeremiah: "O, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and contention to the wholeearth!" But where is a father or a mother that can say I have led theirson into sin; one that can say I have ruined her husband or his wife?Everybody knows my manner of life, therefore it is right for you tobelieve that I speak the truth which everybody knows. You think that itis impossible for a man to do what the faith I have preached tells himto do: with God it would be easy for you. The ass alone saw the angel, the others did not; so open your eyes. Thank God, many have them open. You have seen many learned men whom youthought wise, and they have withstood our cause: now they believe; manynoted masters who were hard and proud against us: now humility caststhem down. You have also seen many women turn from their vanity tosimplicity; vicious youths who are now improved and conduct themselvesin a new way. Many, indeed, have received this doctrine with humility. That doctrine has stood firm, no matter how attacked with the intentionof showing that it was a doctrine opposed to Christ. God does that tomanifest His wisdom, to show how it finally overcomes all other wisdom. And He is willing that His servants be spoken against that they may showtheir patience and humility, and for the sake of His love not be afraidof martyrdom. O ye men and women, I bid you to this truth; let those who are incaptivity contradict you as much as they will, God will come and opposetheir pride. Ye proud, however, if you do not turn about and becomebetter, then will the sword and the pestilence fall upon you; withfamine and war will Italy be turned upside down. I foretell you thisbecause I am sure of it: if I were not, I would not mention it. Openyour eyes as Balaam opened his eyes when the angel said to him: "Had itnot been for thine ass, I would have slain thee. " So I say to you, yecaptives: Had it not been for the good and their preaching, it wouldhave been wo unto you. Balaam said: "If this way is not good, I willreturn. " You say likewise, you would turn back to God, if your way isnot good. And to the angel you say as Balaam said: "What wilt thou thatwe should do?" The angel answers thee as he answered Balaam: "Thou shaltnot curse this people, but shalt say what I put in thy mouth. " But inthy mouth he puts the warning that thou shouldst do good, convince oneanother of the divine truth, and bear evil manfully. For it is the lifeof a Christian to do good and to bear wrong and to continue stedfastunto death, and this is the Gospel, which we, according to the text ofthe Gospel for today, shall preach in all the world. What wilt thou have of us, brother? you ask. I desire that you serveChrist with zeal and not with sloth and indifference. I desire that youdo not mourn, but in thankfulness raise your hands to heaven, wheneveryour brother or your son enters the service of Christ. The time is comewhen Christ will work not only in you but through you and in others;whoever hears, let him say: "Come brother. Let one draw the other. Turnabout, thou who thinkest that thou art of a superior mind and thereforecanst not accept the faith. " If I could only explain this whole Gospelto thee word for word, I would then scourge thy forehead and prove tothee that the faith could not be false and that Christ is thy God who isenthroned in heaven, and waits for thee. Or dost thou believe? Where arethy works? Why dost thou delay about them? Hear this: There was once amonk who spoke to a distinguished man about the faith, and got him toanswer why he did not believe. He answered thus: "You yourself do notbelieve, for if you believed you would show other works. " Therefore, toyou also I say: If you believe, where are your works? Your faith issomething every one knows, for every one knows that Christ was put todeath by the Jews, and that everywhere men pray to Him. The whole worldknows that His glory has not been spread by force and weapons, but bypoor fishermen. O wise man, do you think the poor fishermen were notclever enough for this? Where they worked, there they made heartsbetter; where they could not work, there men remained bad; and thereforewas the faith true and from God. The signs which the Lord had promisedfollowed their teaching: in His name they drove out the devil; theyspoke in new tongues; if they drank any deadly drink, they receivedtherefrom no harm. Even if these wonders had not occurred, there wouldhave been the wonder of wonders, that poor fishermen without any miraclecould accomplish so great a work as the faith. It came from God, and sois Christ true and Christ is thy God, who is in heaven and awaits thee. You say you believe the Gospel, but you do not believe me. But the pureranything is, so much the nearer it stands to its end and purpose. TheChristian life purifies the heart, and places it very near to the truth. To the Christian life will I lead you, if you would have the knowledgeof the truth. If I had wished to deceive you, why should I have givenyou as the chief of my gifts the means of discovering my fraud? I wouldbe verily a fool to try to impose upon you with a falsehood which youwould soon detect; only because I offered you the truth, did I callyou. Come here, I fear you not; the closer you examine, the clearer thetruth will become to you. There are some, however, who are ashamed of the cross of Jesus Christ, and say: If we should believe that, we should be despised everywhere, especially by the wisest. But if you would know the truth, look only onthe lives of those who would have to cry wo on their unbelief if theyshould be measured by deeds. If you are ashamed of the cross, the Lordwas not ashamed to bear that cross for you, and to die on that cross foryou. Be not ashamed of His service and of the defense of the truth. Lookat the servants of the devil, who are not ashamed in the open places, inthe palaces, and everywhere to speak evil and to revile us. Bear then alittle shame only for your Lord; for whoever follows Him will, accordingto our gospel, in His name drive out the devil; that is, he will driveout his sins, and lead a virtuous life; he will drive out serpents; hewill throw out the lazy who come into the houses, and say evil thingsunder the pretense of righteousness, and so are like poisonous serpents. You will see how children can withstand them with the truth of God, anddrive them away. If a believer drinks anything deadly it will not hurthim: this deadly drink is the false doctrines of the lazy, from whom, asyou contend with them, a little comes also to you. But he who standsunharmed in the faith, cries to you: See that you do good; seek God'sglory, not your own. He that does that is of the truth, and remainsunharmed. The Lord says further of the faithful: They shall lay theirhands on the sick and shall heal them. The hands are the works, and thegood lay such hands on the weak that they may support them when theytotter. Do I not teach you according to the Gospel? Why do you hesitateand go not into the service of the Lord? Do you ask me still what youought to do? I will, in conclusion, tell you. Look to Christ and you will find that all He says concerns faith. Askthe apostle; he speaks of nothing else than of faith. If you have theground of all, if you have faith, you will always do what is good. Without faith man always falls into sin. You must seek faith in order tobe good, or else your faith will become false. Christ commanded Hisdisciples to preach the Gospel to all the world, and your wise men calla man a little world, a microcosm. So then preach to yourself, O man, woman, and child. Three parts the world has in you also. Preach first ofall to your knowledge, and say to it: If you draw near this truth, youwill have much faith; wherefore do you hesitate to use it? To your will, say: Thou seest that everything passes away; therefore love not theworld, love Christ. Thereupon turn to the second part of your world, and say to it: Be thankful, my memory, for the mercies God has shownthee, that thou thinkest not of the things of this world but of themercy of thy creation, and thy redemption through the blood of the Sonof God. Then go to the third part, to thy imagination, and proclaim toit: Set nothing before my eyes but my death, bring nothing before me butthe Crucified, embrace Him, fly to Him. Then go through all the citiesof thy world and preach to them. First say to thine eyes: Look not onvanity. To thy ears say: Listen not to the words of the lazy, but onlyto the words of Jesus. To thy tongue say: Speak no more evil. For thytongue is as a great rock that rolls from the summit of a mountain, andat first falls slowly, then ever faster and more furiously. It beginswith gentle murmuring, then it utters small sins, and then greater, until it finally breaks forth in open blasphemy. To thy palate say: Itis necessary that we do a little penance. In all thy senses be clean, and turn to the Lord, for He it is who will give you correction andpurity. To thy hands say: Do good and give alms; and let thy feet go inthe good way. Our reformation has begun in the Spirit of God, if youtake it to heart that each one has to preach to himself. Then will we inthe name of Jesus drive out the devils of temptation. Yes, call uponJesus as often as temptation approaches: call upon Him a hundred timesand believe firmly, and the temptation will depart. Then will we speakwith new tongues; we will speak with God. We shall drive away serpents;the enticement of the senses are these serpents. If we drink anythingdeadly it will not hurt us; if anger and lust arise in us, at the nameof Jesus they will have to give way. We shall lay our hands upon thesick and heal them; with good deeds shall we strengthen the weak soul. If thou feelest thy weakness, flee to God, and He will strengthen;therefore He is thy only refuge. He is thy Savior and thy Lord, who wentinto the heavens to prepare a place for thee, and to wait thee there. What do you intend to do? Go and follow Jesus, who is praised fromeverlasting to everlasting. Amen. LUTHER THE METHOD AND FRUITS OF JUSTIFICATION BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Martin Luther, leader of the Reformation, was born at Eisleben in 1483, and died there 1546. His rugged character and powerful intellect, combined with a strong physique, made him a natural orator, so that itwas said "his words were half battles. " Of his own method of preaching he once remarked: "When I ascend the pulpit I see no heads, but imagine those that arebefore me to be all blocks. When I preach I sink myself deeply down; Iregard neither doctors nor masters, of which there are in the churchabove forty. But I have an eye to the multitude of young people, children, and servants, of which there are more than two thousand. Ipreach to them. When he preaches on any article a man must firstdistinguish it, then define, describe, and show what it is; thirdly, hemust produce sentences from the Scripture to prove and to strengthen it;fourthly, he must explain it by examples; fifthly, he must adorn it withsimilitudes; and lastly, he must admonish and arouse the indolent, correct the disobedient, and reprove the authors of false doctrine. " LUTHER1483--1546 THE METHOD AND FRUITS OF JUSTIFICATION _Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothingfrom a servant, though he be Lord of all; but is under tutors andgovernors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when wewere children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but whenthe fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of awoman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, thatwe might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hathsent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then anheir of God through Christ_. --Gal. Iv. , 1-7. This text touches the very pith of Paul's chief doctrine. The cause whyit is well understood but by few is, not that it is so obscure anddifficult, but because there is so little knowledge of faith left in theworld; without which it is not possible to understand Paul, whoeverywhere treats of faith with such earnestness and force. I must, therefore, speak in such a manner that this text will appear plain; andthat I may more conveniently illustrate it, I will speak a few words byway of preface. First, therefore, we must understand the doctrine in which good worksare set forth, far different from that which treats of justification; asthere is a great difference between the substance and its working;between man and his work. Justification pertains to man, and not toworks; for man is either justified and saved, or judged and condemned, and not works. Neither is it a controversy among the godly, that man isnot justified by works, but righteousness must come from some othersource than from his own works: for Moses, writing of Abel, says, "TheLord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering. " First, He had respectto Abel himself, then to his offering; because Abel was first countedrighteous and acceptable to God, and then for his sake his offering wasaccepted also, and not he because of his offering. Again, God had norespect to Cain, and therefore neither to his offering: therefore thouseest that regard is had first to the worker, then to the work. From this it is plainly gathered that no work can be acceptable to God, unless he which worketh it was first accepted by Him: and again, that nowork is disallowed of Him unless the author thereof be disallowedbefore. I think these remarks will be sufficient concerning this matterat present, by which it is easy to understand that there are two sortsof works, those before justification and those after it; and that theselast are good works indeed, but the former only appear to be good. Hereof cometh such disagreement between God and those counterfeit holyones; for this cause nature and reason rise and rage against the HolyGhost; this is that of which almost the whole Scripture treats. The Lordin His Word defines all works that go before justification to be evil, and of no importance, and requires that man before all things bejustified. Again, He pronounces all men which are unregenerate, and havethat nature which they received of their parents unchanged, to berighteous and wicked, according to that saying "all men are liars, " thatis, unable to perform their duty, and to do those things which theyought to do; and "Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart areonly evil continually"; whereby he is able to do nothing that is good, for the fountain of his actions, which is his heart, is corrupted. If hedo works which outwardly seem good, they are no better than the offeringof Cain. Here again comes forth reason, our reverend mistress, seeming to bemarvelously wise, but who indeed is unwise and blind, gainsaying herGod, and reproving Him of lying; being furnished with her follies andfeeble honor, to wit, the light of nature, free will, the strength ofnature; also with the books of the heathen and the doctrines of men, contending that the works of a man not justified are good works, and notlike those of Cain, yea, and so good that he that worketh them isjustified by them; that God will have respect, first to the works, thento the worker. Such doctrine now bears the sway everywhere in schools, colleges, monasteries wherein no other saints than Cain was, have ruleand authority. Now from this error comes another: they which attributeso much to works, and do not accordingly esteem the worker, and soundjustification, go so far that they ascribe all merit and righteousnessto works done before justification, making no account of faith, allegingthat which James saith, that without works faith is dead. This sentenceof the apostle they do not rightly understand; making but little accountof faith, they always stick to works, whereby they think to meritexceedingly, and are persuaded that for their work's sake they shallobtain the favor of God: by this means they continually disagree withGod, showing themselves to be the posterity of Cain. God hath respectunto man, then unto the works of man; God alloweth the work for the sakeof him that worketh, these require that for the work's sake the workermay be crowned. But here, perhaps, thou wilt say, what is needful to be done? By whatmeans shall I become righteous and acceptable to God? How shall I attainto this perfect justification? Those the gospel answers, teaching thatit is necessary that thou hear Christ, and repose thyself wholly on Him, denying thyself and distrusting thine own strength; by this means thoushalt be changed from Cain to Abel, and being thyself acceptable, shaltoffer acceptable gifts to the Lord. It is faith that justifies thee, thou being endued therewith; the Lord remitteth all thy sins by themediation of Christ His Son, in whom this faith believeth and trusteth. Moreover, He giveth unto such a faith His Spirit, which changes the manand makes him anew, giving him another reason and another will. Such aone worketh nothing but good works. Wherefore nothing is required untojustification but to hear Jesus Christ our Savior, and to believe inHim. Howbeit these are not the works of nature, but of grace. He, therefore, that endeavors to attain to these things by worksshutteth the way to the gospel, to faith, grace, Christ, God, and allthings that help unto salvation. Again, nothing is necessary in order toaccomplish good works but justification; and he that hath attained itperforms good works, and not any other. Hereof it sufficiently appearsthat the beginning, the things following, and the order of man'ssalvation are after this sort; first of all it is required that thouhear the Word of God; next that thou believe; then that thou work; andso at last become saved and happy. He that changes this order, withoutdoubt is not of God. Paul also describes this, saying, "Whosoever shallcall upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they callon Him in whom they have not believed? and, how shall they believe inHim of whom they have not heard? and, how shall they hear without apreacher? and, how shall they preach except they be sent?" Christ teaches us to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborersinto His harvest; that is, sincere preachers. When we hear these preachthe true Word of God, we may believe; which faith justifies a man, andmakes him godly indeed, so that he now calls upon God in the spirit ofholiness, and works nothing but that which is good, and thus becomes asaved man. Thus he that believeth shall be saved; but he that workethwithout faith is condemned; as Christ saith, he that doth not believeshall be condemned, from which no works shall deliver him. Some say, Iwill now endeavor to become honest. It is meet surely that we study tolead an honest life, and to do good works. But if one ask them how wemay apply ourselves unto honesty, and by what means we may attain it, they answer, that we must fast, pray, frequent temples, avoid sins, etc. Whereby one becomes a Carthusian monk, another chooses some other orderof monks, and another is consecrated a priest; some torment their fleshby wearing hair-cloth, others scourge their bodies with whips, othersafflict themselves in a different manner; but these are of Cain'sprogeny, and their works are no better than his; for they continue thesame that they were before, ungodly, and without justification: there isa change made of outward works only, of apparel, of place, etc. They scarce think of faith, they presume only on such works as seem goodto themselves, thinking by them to get to heaven. But Christ said, "Enter in at the strait gate, for I say unto you, many seek to enter in, and can not. " Why is this? because they know not what this narrow gateis; for it is faith, which altogether annihilates or makes a man appearas nothing in his own eyes, and requires him not to trust in his ownworks, but to depend upon the grace of God, and be prepared to leave andsuffer all things. Those holy ones of Cain's progeny think their goodworks are the narrow gate; and are not, therefore, extenuated or madeless, whereby they might enter. When we begin to preach of faith to those that believe altogether inworks, they laugh and hiss at us, and say, "Dost thou count us as Turksand heathens, whom it behooves now first to learn faith? is there such acompany of priests, monks, and nuns, and is not faith known? who knowethnot what he ought to believe? even sinners know that. " Being after thissort animated and stirred up, they think themselves abundantly enduedwith faith, and that the rest is now to be finished and made perfect byworks. They make so small and slender account of faith, because they areignorant what faith is, and that it alone doth justify. They call itfaith, believing those things which they have heard of Christ; this kindof faith the devils also have, and yet they are not justified. But thisought rather to be called an opinion of men. To believe those things tobe true which are preached of Christ is not sufficient to constitutethee a Christian, but thou must not doubt that thou art of the number ofthem unto whom all the benefits of Christ are given and exhibited; whichhe that believes must plainly confess, that he is holy, godly, righteous, the son of God, and certain of salvation; and that by nomerit of his own, but by the mere mercy of God poured forth upon him forChrist's sake: which he believes to be so rich and plentiful, as indeedit is, that altho he be as it were drowned in sin, he is notwithstandingmade holy, and become the son of God. Wherefore, take heed that thou nothing doubt that thou art the son ofGod, and therefore made righteous by His grace; let all fear and care bedone away. However, thou must fear and tremble that thou mayestpersevere in this way unto the end; but thou must not do this as tho itconsisted in thy own strength, for righteousness and salvation are ofgrace, whereunto only thou must trust. But when thou knowest that it isof grace alone, and that thy faith also is the gift of God, thou shalthave cause to fear, lest some temptation violently move thee from thisfaith. Every one by faith is certain of this salvation; but we ought to havecare and fear that we stand and persevere, trusting in the Lord, and notin our own strength. When those of the race of Cain hear faith treatedof in this manner, they marvel at our madness, as it seems to them. Godturn us from this way, say they, that we should affirm ourselves holyand godly; far be this arrogance and rashness from us: we are miserablesinners; we should be mad, if we should arrogate holiness to ourselves. Thus they mock at true faith, and count such doctrine as this execrableerror; and thus try to extinguish the Gospel. These are they that denythe faith of Christ, and persecute it throughout the whole world; ofwhom Paul speaks: "In the latter times many shall depart from thefaith, " etc. , for we see by these means that true faith lies everywhereopprest; it is not preached, but commonly disallowed and condemned. The pope, bishops, colleges, monasteries, and universities have morethan five hundred years persecuted it with one mind and consent mostobstinately, which has been the means of driving many to hell. If anyobject against the admiration, or rather the mad senselessness of thesemen, if we count ourselves even holy, trusting the goodness of God tojustify us, or as David prayed, "Preserve Thou me, O Lord, for I amholy, " or as Paul saith, "The Spirit of God beareth witness with ourspirit that we are the children of God"; they answer that the prophetand apostle would not teach us in these words, or give us an examplewhich we should follow, but that they, being particularly and speciallyenlightened, received such revelation of themselves. In this way theymisrepresent the Scripture, which affirms that they are holy, sayingthat such doctrine is not written for us, but that it is rather peculiarmiracles, which do not belong to all. This forged imagination we accountof as having come from their sickly brain. Again, they believe that theyshall be made righteous and holy by their own works, and that because ofthem God will give them salvation and eternal blessedness. In the opinion of these men it is a Christian duty to think that weshall be righteous and sacred because of our works; but to believe thatthese things are given by the grace of God, they condemn as heretical;attributing that to their own works which they do not attribute to thegrace of God. They that are endued with true faith, and rest upon thegrace of the Lord, rejoice with holy joy, and apply themselves withpleasure to good works, not such as those of Cain's progeny do, asfeigned prayers, fasting, base and filthy apparel, and such liketrifles, but to true and good works whereby their neighbors areprofited. Perhaps some godly man may think, if the matter be so, and our work donot save us, to what end are so many precepts given us, and why doth Godrequire that they be obeyed? The present text of the apostle will give asolution of this question, and upon this occasion we will give anexposition thereof. The Galatians being taught of Paul the faith ofChrist, but afterward seduced by false apostles, thought that oursalvation must be finished and made perfect by the works of the law; andthat faith alone doth not suffice. These Paul calls back again fromworks unto faith with great diligence; plainly proving that the works ofthe law, which go before faith, make us only servants, and are of noimportance toward godliness and salvation; but that faith makes us thesons of God, and from thence good works without constraint forthwithplentifully flow. But here we must observe the words of the apostle; he calls him aservant that is occupied in works without faith, of which we havealready treated at large; but he calls him a son which is righteous byfaith alone. The reason is this, altho the servant apply himself to goodworks, yet he does it not with the same mind as doth the son; that is, with a mind free, willing, and certain that the inheritance and all thegood things of the Father are his; but does it as he that is hired inanother man's house, who hopes not that the inheritance shall come tohim. The works indeed of the son and the servant are alike; and almostthe same in outward appearance; but their minds differ exceedingly: asChrist saith, "The servant abideth not in the house forever, but the sonabideth ever. " Those of Cain's progeny want the faith of sons, which they confessthemselves; for they think it most absurd, and wicked arrogancy, toaffirm themselves to be the sons of God, and holy; therefore as theybelieve, even so are they counted before God; they neither become holynor the sons of God, nevertheless are they exercised with the works ofthe law; wherefore they are and remain servants forever. They receive noreward except temporal things; such as quietness of life, abundance ofgoods, dignity, honor, etc. , which we see to be common among thefollowers of popish religion. But this is their reward, for they areservants, and not sons; wherefore in death they shall be separated fromall good things, neither shall any portion of the eternal inheritance betheirs, who in this life would believe nothing thereof. We perceive, therefore, that servants and sons are not unlike in works, but in mindand faith they have no resemblance. The apostle endeavors here to prove that the law with all the worksthereof makes us but mere servants, if we have not faith in Christ; forthis alone make us sons of God. It is the word of grace followed by theHoly Ghost, as is shown in many places, where we read of the Holy Ghostfalling on Cornelius and his family while hearing the preaching ofPeter. Paul teaches that no man is justified before God by the works ofthe law; for sin only cometh by the law. He that trusts in workscondemns faith as the most pernicious arrogancy and error of all others. Here thou seest plainly that such a man is not righteous, beingdestitute of that faith and belief which is necessary to make himacceptable before God and His Son; yea, he is an enemy to this faith, and therefore to righteousness also. Thus it is easy to understand thatwhich Paul saith, that no man is justified before God by the works ofthe law. The worker must be justified before God before he can work any goodthing. Men judge the worker by the works; God judges the works by theworker. The first precept requires us to acknowledge and worship oneGod, that is, to trust Him alone, which is the true faith whereby webecome the sons of God. Thou canst not be delivered from the evil ofunbelief by thine own power, nor by the power of the law; wherefore allthy works which thou doest to satisfy the law can be nothing but worksof the law; of far less importance than to be able to justify theebefore God, who counteth them righteous only who truly believe in Him;for they that acknowledge Him the true God are His sons, and do trulyfulfil the law. If thou shouldst even kill thyself by working, thy heartcan not obtain this faith thereby, for thy works are even a hindrance toit, and cause thee to persecute it. He that studieth to fulfil the law without faith is afflicted for thedevil's sake; and continues a persecutor both of faith and the law, until he come to himself, and cease to trust in his own works; he thengives glory to God, who justifies the ungodly, and acknowledges himselfto be nothing, and sighs for the grace of God, of which he knows that hehas need. Faith and grace now fill his empty mind, and satisfy hishunger; then follow works which are truly good; neither are they worksof the law, but of the spirit, of faith and grace; they are called inthe Scripture the works of God, which He worketh in us. Whatsoever we do of our own power and strength, that which is notwrought in us by His grace, without doubt is a work of the law, andavails nothing toward justification; but is displeasing to God, becauseof the unbelief wherein it is done. He that trusts in works does nothingfreely and with a willing mind; he would do no good work at all if hewere not compelled by the fear of hell, or allured by the hope ofpresent good. Whereby it is plainly seen that they strive only for gain, or are moved with fear, showing that they rather hate the law from theirhearts, and had rather there were no law at all. An evil heart can donothing that is good. This evil propensity of the heart, andunwillingness to do good, the law betrays when it teaches that God doesnot esteem the works of the hand, but those of the heart. Thus sin is known by the law, as Paul teaches; for we learn thereby thatour affections are not placed on that which is good. This ought to teachus not to trust in ourselves, but to long after the grace of God, whereby the evil of the heart may be taken away, and we become ready todo good works, and love the law voluntarily; not for fear of anypunishment, but for the love of righteousness. By this means one ismade of a servant, a son; of a slave an heir. We shall now come to treat more particularly of the text. Verse 1. "Theheir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, tho hebe lord of all. " We see that the children unto whom their parents haveleft some substance are brought up no otherwise than if they wereservants. They are fed and clothed with their goods, but they are notpermitted to do with them, nor use them according to their own minds, but are ruled with fear and discipline of manners, so that even in theirown inheritance they live no otherwise than as servants. After the samesort it is in spiritual things. God made with His people a covenant, when He promised that in the seed of Abraham, that is in Christ, allnations of the earth should be blest. That covenant was afterwardconfirmed by the death of Christ, and revealed and published abroad bythe preaching gospel. For the gospel is an open and general preaching ofthis grace, that in Christ is laid up a blessing for all men thatbelieve. Before this covenant is truly opened and made manifest to men, the sonsof God live after the manner of servants under the law; and areexercised with the works of the law, altho they can not be justified bythem; they are true heirs of heavenly things, of this blessing and graceof the covenant; altho they do not as yet know or enjoy it. Those thatare justified by grace cease from the works of the law, and come untothe inheritance of justification; they then freely work those thingsthat are good, to the glory of God and benefit of their neighbors. Forthey have possest it by the covenant of the Father, confirmed by Christ, revealed, published, and as it were delivered into their hands by thegospel, through the grace and mercy of God. This covenant Abraham, and all the fathers which were endued with truefaith, had no otherwise than we have: altho before Christ was glorifiedthis grace was not openly preached and published: they lived in likefaith, and therefore obtained the like good things. They had the samegrace, blessing, and covenant that we have; for there is one Father andGod over all. Thou seest that Paul here, as in almost all other places, treats much of faith; that we are not justified by works, but by faithalone. There is no good thing which is not contained in this covenant ofGod; it gives righteousness, salvation, and peace. By faith the wholeinheritance of God is at once received. From thence good works come; notmeritorious, whereby thou mayest seek salvation, but which with a mindalready possessing righteousness thou must do with great pleasure to theprofit of thy neighbors. Verse 2. "But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed ofthe Father. " Tutors and governors are they which bring up the heir, andso rule him and order his goods that he neither waste his inheritance byriotous living, nor his goods perish or be otherwise consumed. Theypermit him not to use his goods at his own will or pleasure, but sufferhim to enjoy them as they shall be needful and profitable to him. Theykeep him at home, and instruct him whereby he may long and comfortablyenjoy his inheritance: but as soon as he arrives to the years ofdiscretion and judgment, it can not but be grievous to him to live insubjection to the commands and will of another. In the same manner stands the case of the children of God, which arebrought up and instructed under the law, as under a master in theliberty of sons. The law profits them in this, that by the fear of itand the punishment which it threatens, they are driven from sin, atleast from the outward work: by it they are brought to a knowledge ofthemselves, and that they do no good at all with a willing and readymind as becomes sons; whereby they may easily see what is the root ofthis evil, and what is especially needful unto salvation; to wit, a newand living spirit to that which is good: which neither the law nor theworks of the law is able to give; yea, the more they apply themselves toit, the more unwilling they find themselves to work those things whichare good. Here they learn that they do not satisfy the law, altho outwardly theylive according to its precepts. They pretend to obey it in works, althoin mind they hate it; they pretend themselves righteous, but they remainsinners. These are like unto those of Cain's progeny, and hypocrites;whose hands are compelled to do good, but their hearts consent unto sinand are subject thereto. To know this concerning one's self is not thelowest degree toward salvation. Paul calls such constrained works theworks of the law; for they flow not from a ready and willing heart;howbeit the law does not require works alone, but the heart itself;wherefore it is said in the first psalm of the blest man, "But hisdelight is in the law of the Lord: and in His law doth he meditate dayand night. " Such a mind the law requires, but it gives it not; neithercan it of its own nature: whereby it comes to pass that while the lawcontinues to exact it of a man, and condemns him as long as he hath sucha mind, as being disobedient to God, he is in anguish on every side; hisconscience being grievously terrified. Then, indeed, is he most ready to receive the grace of God; this beingthe time appointed by the Father when his servitude shall end, and heenter into the liberty of the sons of God. For being thus in distress, and terrified, seeing that by no other means he can avoid thecondemnation of the law, he prays to the Father for grace; heacknowledges his frailty, he confesses his sin, he ceases to trust inworks, and humbles himself, perceiving that between him and a manifestsinner there is no difference at all except of works, that he hath awicked heart, even as every other sinner hath. The condition of man'snature is such that it is able to give to the law works only, and notthe heart; an unequal division, truly, to dedicate the heart, which, incomparably excels all other things, to sin, and the hand to the law:which is offering chaff to the law, and the wheat to sin; the shell toGod, and the kernel to Satan; whose ungodliness if one reprove, theybecome enraged, and would even take the life of innocent Abel, andpersecute all those that follow the truth. Those that trust in works seem to defend them to obtain righteousness;they promise to themselves a great reward for this, by persecutingheretics and blasphemers, as they say, who seduce with error, and enticemany from good works. But those that God hath chosen, learn by the lawhow unwilling the heart is to conform to the works of the law; they fallfrom their arrogancy, and are by this knowledge of themselves brought tosee their own unworthiness. Hereby they receive that covenant of theeternal blessing and the Holy Ghost which renews the heart: wherebythey are delighted with the law, and hate sin; and are willing and readyto do those things which are good. This is the time appointed by theFather, when the heir must no longer remain a servant, but a son; beingled by a free spirit, he is no more kept in subjection under tutors andgovernors after the manner of a servant; which is even that which Paulteaches in the following: Verse 3. "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under theelements of the word. " By the word elements thou mayest here understandthe first principles or law written; which is as it were the firstexercises and instructions of holy learning; as it is said: "Asconcerning the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teachyou again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. " "Bewarelest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after thetradition of men, after the rudiments of the world. " "How turn ye againto the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be inbondage. " Here Paul calls the law rudiments; because it is not able to performthat righteousness which it requires. For whereas it earnestly requiresa heart and mind given to godliness, nature is not able to satisfy it:herein it makes a man feel his poverty, and acknowledge his infirmity:it requires that of him by right which he has not, neither is able tohave. "The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. " Paul calls themthe rudiments of the world, which, not being renewed by the Spirit, onlyperform worldly things; to wit, in places, times, apparel, persons, vessels, and such like. But faith rests not in worldly things, but inthe grace, word, and mercy of God: counting alike, days, meats, persons, apparel, and all things of this world. None of these by themselves either help or hinder godliness orsalvation. With those of Cain's progeny, faith neither agrees in name oranything else; one of them eats flesh, another abstains from it; onewears black apparel, another white; one keeps this day holy, and anotherthat; every one has his rudiments, under which he is in bondage: all ofthem are addicted to the things of the world, which are frail andperishable. Against these Paul speaks, "Wherefore, if ye be dead withChrist from the rudiments of the world, why, as tho living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances: touch not, taste not, handle not, whichall are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrinesof men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship andhumility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfyingof the flesh. " By this and other places above mentioned, it is evident thatmonasteries and colleges, whereby we measure the state of spiritual menas we call them, plainly disagree with the Gospel and Christian liberty:and therefore it is much more dangerous to live in this kind of lifethan among the most profane men. All their works are nothing butrudiments and ordinances of the world; neither are they Christians butin name, wherefore all their life and holiness are sinful and mostdetestable hypocrisy. The fair show of feigned holiness which is inthose ordinances does, in a marvelous and secret manner, withdraw fromfaith more than those manifest and gross sins of which open sinners areguilty. Now this false and servile opinion faith alone takes away, andteaches us to trust in, and rest upon, the grace of God, whereby isgiven freely that which is needful to work all things. Verse 4. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth HisSon, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were underthe law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. " After Paul hadtaught us that righteousness and faith can not come to us by the law, neither can we deserve it by nature, he shows us by whom we obtain it;and who is the author of our justification. The apostle saith, "When thefulness of the time was come"; here Paul speaks of the time which wasappointed by the Father to the Son, wherein He should live undertutors, etc. This time being come to the Jews, and ended, Christ came inthe flesh; so it is daily fulfilled to others, when they come to theknowledge of Christ, and change the servitude of the law for the faithof sons. Christ for this cause came unto us, that believing in Him wemay be restored to true liberty; by which faith they of ancient timesalso obtained the liberty of the Spirit. As soon as thou believest in Christ, He comes to thee, a deliverer andSavior; and now the time of bondage is ended; as the apostle saith, thefulness thereof is come. Verse 6. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of HisSon into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. " Here we see plainly thatthe Holy Ghost cometh to the saints, not by works, but by faith alone. Sons believe, while servants only work; sons are free from the law, servants are held under the law, as appears by those things that havebeen before spoken. But how comes it to pass that he saith "because yeare sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit, " etc. , seeing it is beforesaid that by the coming of the Spirit we are changed from servants tosons: but here, as tho we could be sons before the coming of the Spirit, he saith "because ye are sons, " etc. To this question we must answer, that Paul speaks here in the same manner that he did before, that is, before the fulness of the time came, we were in bondage under therudiments of the world: all that shall become sons are counted in theplace of sons with God: therefore he saith rightly, "because ye aresons, " that is, because the state of sons is appointed to you fromeverlasting, "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son, " to wit, thatHe might finish it in you, and make you such as He hath long since ofHis goodness determined that He would make you. Now if the Father give unto us His Spirit, He will make us His true sonsand heirs, that we may with confidence cry with Christ, Abba, Father;being His brethren and fellow heirs. The apostle has well set forth thegoodness of God which makes us partakers with Christ, and causes us tohave all things common with Him, so that we live and are led by the sameSpirit. These words of the apostle show that the Holy Ghost proceedsfrom Christ, as he calls Him his Spirit. So God hath sent forth theSpirit of His Son, that is, of Christ, for He is the Spirit of God, andcomes from God to us, and not ours, unless one will say after thismanner, "my Holy Spirit, " as we say, "my God, " "my Lord, " etc. As He issaid to be the Holy Spirit of Christ, it proves Him to be God of whomthat Spirit is sent, therefore it is counted His Spirit. Christians may perceive by this whether they have in themselves the HolyGhost, to wit, the Spirit of sons; whether they hear His voice in theirhearts: for Paul saith, He crieth in the hearts which He possesseth, Abba, Father; he saith also, "We have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. " Thou hearest this voice when thou findestso much faith in thyself that thou dost assuredly, without doubting, presume that not only thy sins are forgiven thee, but also that thou artthe beloved Son of God, who, being certain of eternal salvation, durstboth call Him Father, and be delighted in Him with a joyful andconfident heart. To doubt these things brings a reproach upon the deathof Christ, as tho He had not obtained all things for us. It may be that thou shalt be so tempted as to fear and doubt, and thinkplainly that God is not a favorable Father, but a wrathful revenger ofsins, as it happened with Job, and many other saints: but in such aconflict this trust and confidence that thou art a son ought to prevailand overcome. It is said "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for uswith groanings which can not be uttered; and that He beareth witnesswith our spirit that we are the children of God. " How can it thereforebe that our hearts should not hear this cry and testimony of the Spirit?But if thou dost not feel this cry, take heed that thou be not slothfuland secure; pray constantly, for thou art in an evil state. Cain saith, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, Thouhast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Thyface shall I be hid; and it shall come to pass that every one thatfindeth me shall slay me. " This is a dreadful and terrible cry, which isheard from all Cain's progeny, all such as trust to themselves and theirown works, who put not their trust in the Son of God, neither considerthat He was sent from the Father, made of a woman under the law, muchless that all these things were done for their salvation. And whiletheir ungodliness is not herewith content, they begin to persecute eventhe sons of God, and grow so cruel that, after the example of theirfather Cain, they can not rest until they slay their righteous brotherAbel, wherefore the blood of Christ continually cries out against themnothing but punishment and vengeance; but for the heirs of salvation itcries by the Spirit of Christ for nothing but grace and reconciliation. The apostle here uses a Syrian and Greek word, saying, Abba, Pater. Thisword Abba, in the Syrian tongue, signifies a father, by which name theheads of monasteries are still called; and by the same name, hermits intimes past, being holy men, called their presidents: at last, by use, itwas also made a Latin word. Therefore that which Paul saith is as muchas Father, Father; or if thou hadst rather, "my Father. " Verse 7. "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if ason, then an heir of God through Christ. " He saith, that after thecoming of the Spirit, after the knowledge of Christ, "thou art not aservant. " A son is free and willing, a servant is compelled andunwilling; a son liveth and resteth in faith, a servant in works. Therefore it appears that we can not obtain salvation of God by works, but before thou workest that which is acceptable to Him, it is necessarythat thou receive salvation; then good works will freely flow, to thehonor of thy heavenly Father, and to the profit of thy neighbors;without any fear of punishment, or looking for reward. If this inheritance of the Father be thine by faith, surely thou artrich in all things, before thou hast wrought any thing. It is said "Yoursalvation is prepared and reserved in heaven, to be showed in the lasttime, " wherefore the works of a Christian ought to have no regard tomerit, which is the manner of servants, but only for the use and benefitof our neighbors, whereby we may truly live to the glory of God. Lestthat any think that so great an inheritance cometh to us without cost(altho it be given to us without our cost or merit), yet it cost Christa dear price, who, that He might purchase it for us, was made under thelaw, and satisfied it for us, both by life and also by death. Those benefits which from love we bestow upon our neighbor, come to himfreely, without any charges or labor of his, notwithstanding they costus something, even as Christ hath bestowed those things which are Hisupon us. Thus hath Paul called back the Galatians from the teachers ofworks, which preached nothing but the law, perverting the Gospel ofChrist. Which things are very necessary to be marked of us also: for thePope, with his prelates and monks hath for a long time intruded, urginghis laws, which are foolish and pernicious, disagreeing in every respectwith the Word of God, seducing almost the whole world from the gospel ofChrist, and plainly extinguishing the faith of sons, as the Scripturehath in diverse places manifestly prophesied of His kingdom. Whereforelet every one that desires salvation, diligently take heed of him andhis followers, no otherwise than Satan himself. LATIMER ON CHRISTIAN LOVE BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Hugh Latimer, reformer and martyr, was born in Leicestershire, England, in 1485, or two years later than Luther. On completing an education atCambridge, he took holy orders and preached strenuously in favor of theLutheran views. As a profound canonist, he was placed on the commissionappointed to decide on the legality of Henry VII's marriage withKatharine of Aragon. His decision in favor of Henry gained him a royalchaplaincy and a living. Appointed Bishop of Worcester in 1535, he preached boldly the reformeddoctrines, but lost favor at court, and when Gardiner and Bonner pusheda reactionary movement to the front, he retired from his see (1539). Latimer lived in peaceful retirement under Edward VI, but under Mary he, with other reformers, was arrested and thrown into the Tower. Brought toOxford for examination, he refused to recant, and was confined for ayear in the common prison, and on October 16, 1555, put to death byfire, along with Ridley, at a place opposite Balliol College, where theMartyr's Memorial was subsequently erected. LATIMER1485--1555 ON CHRISTIAN LOVE _This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have lovedyou_. --John xv. , 12. Seeing the time is so far spent, we will take no more in hand at thistime than this one sentence; for it will be enough for us to considerthis well, and to bear it away with us. "This I command unto you, thatye love one another. " Our Savior himself spake these words at His lastsupper: it was the last sermon that He made unto His disciples beforeHis departure; it is a very long sermon. For our Savior, like as onethat knows he shall die shortly, is desirous to spend that little timethat He has with His friends, in exhorting and instructing them how theyshould lead their lives. Now among other things that He commanded thiswas one: "This I command unto you, that ye love one another. " TheEnglish expresses as tho it were but one, "This is my commandment. " Iexamined the Greek, where it is in the plural number, and very well; forthere are many things that pertain to a Christian man, and yet all thosethings are contained in this one thing, that is, love. He lappeth upall things in love. Our whole duty is contained in these words, "Love together. " ThereforeSt. Paul saith, "He that loveth another fulfilleth the whole law"; so itappeareth that all things are contained in this word love. This love isa precious thing; our Savior saith, "By this shall all men know that yeare my disciples, if ye shall love one another. " So Christ makes love His cognizance, His badge, His livery. Like asevery lord commonly gives a certain livery to his servants, whereby theymay be known that they pertain unto him; and so we say, yonder is thislord's servants, because they wear his livery: so our Savior, who is theLord above all lords, would have His servants known by their liveriesand badge, which badge is love alone. Whosoever now is endued with loveand charity is His servant; him we may call Christ's servant; for loveis the token whereby you may know that such a servant pertaineth toChrist; so that charity may be called the very livery of Christ. He thathath charity is Christ's servant; he that hath not charity is theservant of the devil. For as Christ's livery is love and charity, so thedevil's livery is hatred, malice and discord. But I think the devil has a great many more servants than Christ has;for there are a great many more in his livery than in Christ's livery;there are but very few who are endued with Christ's livery; with loveand charity, gentleness and meekness of spirit; but there are a greatnumber that bear hatred and malice in their hearts, that are proud, stout, and lofty; therefore the number of the devil's servants isgreater than the number of Christ's servants. Now St. Paul shows how needful this love is. I speak not of carnal love, which is only animal affection; but of this charitable love, which is sonecessary that when a man hath it, without all other things it willsuffice him. Again, if a man have all other things and lacketh that loveit will not help him, it is all vain and lost. St. Paul used it so: "ThoI speak with tongues of men and angels, and yet had no love, I were evenas sounding brass, or as a tinkling cymbal. And tho I could prophesy andunderstand all secrets and all knowledge; yet if I had faith, so that Icould move mountains out of their places, and yet had no love, I werenothing. And tho I bestowed all my goods to feed the poor, and tho Igave my body even that I were burned, and yet had no love, it profitethme nothing" (I Cor. Xiii). These are godly gifts, yet St. Paul callsthem nothing when a man hath them without charity; which is a greatcommendation, and shows the great need of love, insomuch that all othervirtues are in vain when this love is absent. And there have been somewho taught that St. Paul spake against the dignity of faith; but youmust understand that St. Paul speaks here not of the justifying faith, wherewith we receive everlasting life, but he understands by this wordfaith the gift to do miracles, to remove hills; of such a faith hespeaks. This I say to confirm this proposition. Faith only justifieth;this proposition is most true and certain. And St. Paul speaks not hereof this lively justifying faith; for this right faith is not withoutlove, for love cometh and floweth out of faith; love is a child offaith; for no man can love except he believe, so that they have twoseveral offices, they themselves being inseparable. St. Paul has an expression in the 13th chapter of the first of theCorinthians, which, according to the outward letter, seems much to thedispraise of this faith, and to the praise of love; these are his words, "Now abideth faith, hope and love, even these three; but the chiefest ofthese is love. " There are some learned men who expound the greatness ofwhich St. Paul speaketh here as if meant for eternity. For when we cometo God, then we believe no more, but rather see with our eyes face toface how He is; yet for all that love remains still; so that love may becalled the chiefest, because she endureth forever. And tho she is thechiefest, yet we must not attribute unto her the office which pertainsunto faith only. Like as I can not say, the Mayor of Stamford must makeme a pair of shoes because he is a greater man than the shoemaker is;for the mayor, tho he is a greater man, yet it is not his office to makeshoes; so tho love be greater, yet it is not her office to save. Thusmuch I thought good to say against those who fight against the truth. Now, when we would know who are in Christ's livery or not, we must learnit of St. Paul, who most evidently described charity, which is the onlylivery, saying, "Love is patient, she suffereth long. " Now whosoeverfumeth and is angry, he is out of this livery: therefore let us rememberthat we do not cast away the livery of Christ our Master. When we are insickness, or any manner of adversities, our duty is to be patient, tosuffer willingly, and to call upon Him for aid, help and comfort; forwithout Him we are not able to abide any tribulation. Therefore we mustcall upon God, He has promised to help: therefore let me not think Himto be false or untrue to His promises, for we can not dishonor God morethan by not believing or trusting in Him. Therefore let us beware aboveall things of dishonoring God; and so we must be patient, trusting andmost certainly believing that He will deliver us when it seems good toHim, who knows the time better than we ourselves. "Charity is gentle, friendly, and loving; she envieth not. " They thatenvy their neighbor's profit when it goes well with him, such fellowsare out of their liveries, and so out of the service of God; for to beenvious is to be the servant of the devil. "Love doth not frowardly, she is not a provoker"; as there are some menwho will provoke their neighbor so far that it is very hard for them tobe in charity with them; but we must wrestle with our affections; wemust strive and see that we keep this livery of Christ our master; for"the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking to take us at avantage, " to bring us out of our liveries, and to take from us the knotof love and charity. "Love swelleth not, is not puffed up"; but there are many swellersnowadays, they are so high, so lofty, insomuch that they despise andcontemn all others; all such persons are under the governance of thedevil. God rules not them with His good spirit; the evil spirit hasoccupied their hearts and possest them. "She doth not dishonestly; she seeketh not her own; she doth all thingsto the commodity of her neighbors. " A charitable man will not promotehimself with the damage of his neighbor. They that seek only their ownadvantage, forgetting their neighbors, they are not of God, they havenot His livery. Further, "Charity is not provoked to anger; she thinkethnot evil. " We ought not to think evil of our neighbor, as long as wesee not open wickedness; for it is written, "You shall not judge"; weshould not take upon us to condemn our neighbor. And surely thecondemners of other men's works are not in the livery of Christ. Christhateth them. "She rejoiceth not in iniquity"; she loveth equity and godliness. Andagain, she is sorry to hear of falsehood, of stealing, or such like, which wickedness is now at this time commonly used. There never was suchfalsehood among Christian men as there is now, at this time; truly Ithink, and they that have experience report it so, that among the veryinfidels and Turks there is more fidelity and uprightness than amongChristian men. For no man setteth anything by his promise, yea, andwritings will not serve with some; they are so shameless that they daredeny their own handwriting; but, I pray you, are those false fellows inthe livery of Christ? Have they His cognizance? No, no; they have thebadge of the devil, with whom they shall be damned world without end, except they amend and leave their wickedness. "She suffereth all things; she believeth all things. " It is a greatmatter that should make us to be grieved with our neighbor; we should bepatient when our neighbor doth wrong, we should admonish him of hisfolly, earnestly desiring him to leave his wickedness, showing thedanger that follows, everlasting damnation. In such wise we shouldstudy to amend our neighbor, and not to hate him or do him a foul turnagain, but rather charitably study to amend him: whosoever now does so, he has the livery and cognizance of Christ, he shall be known at thelast day for his servant. "Love believeth all things"; it appears daily that they who arecharitable and friendly are most deceived; because they think well ofevery man, they believe every man, they trust their words, and thereforeare most deceived in this world, among the children of the devil. Theseand such like things are the tokens of the right and godly love;therefore they that have this love are soon known, for this love can notbe hid in corners, she has her operation: therefore all that have herare well enough, tho they have no other gifts besides her. Again, theythat lack her, tho they have many other gifts besides, yet is it to noother purpose, it does then no good: for when we shall come at the greatday before him, not having this livery (that is love) with us, then weare lost; he will not take us for His servants, because we have not Hiscognizance. But if we have this livery, if we wear His cognizance herein this world; that is, if we love our neighbor, help him in hisdistress, are charitable, loving, and friendly unto him, then we shallbe known at the last day: but if we be uncharitable toward ourneighbor, hate him, seek our own advantage with His damage, then weshall be rejected of Christ and so damned world without end. Our Savior saith here in this gospel, "I command you these things"; Hespeaketh in the plural number, and lappeth it up in one thing, which isthat we should love one another, much like St. Paul's saying in the 13thto the Romans, "Owe nothing to any man, but to love one another. " HereSt. Paul lappeth up all things together, signifying unto us that love isthe consummation of the law; for this commandment, "Thou shalt notcommit adultery, " is contained in this law of love: for he that lovethGod will not break wedlock, because wedlock-breaking is a dishonoring ofGod and a serving of the devil. "Thou shalt not kill"; he that lovethwill not kill, he will do no harm. "Thou shalt not steal"; he thatloveth his neighbor as himself will not take away his goods. I had oflate occasion to speak of picking and stealing, where I showed unto youthe danger wherein they are that steal their neighbor's goods from them, but I hear nothing yet of restitution. Sirs, I tell you, exceptrestitution is made, look for no salvation. And it is a miserable andheinous thing to consider that we are so blinded with this world that, rather than we would make restitution, we will sell unto the devil oursouls which are bought with the blood of our Savior Christ. What can bedone more to the dishonoring of Christ than to cast our souls away tothe devil for the value of a little money?--the soul which He has boughtwith His painful passion and death. But I tell you those that will doso, and that will not make restitution when they have done wrong, ortaken away their neighbor's goods, they are not in the livery of Christ, they are not his servants; let them go as they will in this world, yetfor all that they are foul and filthy enough before God; they stinkbefore His face; and therefore they shall be cast from His presence intoeverlasting fire; this shall be all their good cheer that they shallhave, because they have not the livery of Christ, nor His cognizance, which is love. They remember not that Christ commanded us, saying, "ThisI command you, that ye love one another. " This is Christ's commandment. Moses, the great prophet of God, gave many laws, but he gave not thespirit to fulfil the same laws: but Christ gave this law, and promisedunto us, that when we call upon Him He will give us His Holy Ghost, whoshall make us able to fulfil His laws, tho not so perfectly as the lawrequires; but yet to the contention of God, and to the protection of ourfaith; for as long as we are in this world, we can do nothing as weought to do, because our flesh leadeth us, which is ever bent againstthe law of God; yet our works which we do are well taken for Christ'ssake, and God will reward them in heaven. Therefore our Savior saith, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light, "because He helpeth to bear them; else indeed we should not be able tobear them. And in another place He saith, "His commandments are notheavy"; they are heavy to our flesh, but being qualified with the Spiritof God, to the faithful which believe in Christ, to them, I say, theyare not heavy; for tho their doings are not perfect, yet they are welltaken for Christ's sake. You must not be offended because the Scripture commends love so highly, for he that commends the daughter commends the mother; for love is thedaughter, and faith is the mother: love floweth out of faith; wherefaith is, there is love; but yet we must consider their offices, faithis the hand wherewith we take hold on everlasting life. Now let us enter into ourselves, and examine our own hearts, whether weare in the livery of God, or not: and when we find ourselves to be outof this livery, let us repent and amend our lives, so that we may comeagain to the favor of God, and spend our time in this world to His honorand glory, forgiving our neighbors all such things as they have doneagainst us. And now to make an end: mark here who gave this precept of love--Christour Savior Himself. When and at what time? At His departing, when Heshould suffer death. Therefore these words ought the more to beregarded, seeing He Himself spake them at His last departing from us. May God of His mercy give us grace so to walk here in this world, charitably and friendly one with another, that we may attain the joywhich God hath prepared for all those that love Him. Amen. MELANCHTHON THE SAFETY OF THE VIRTUOUS BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Philip Melanchthon (Schwarzerd) was born at Bretten, in Baden, in 1497. His name is noteworthy as first a fellow laborer and eventually acontroversial antagonist of Luther. At the Diet of Augsburg, in 1530, hewas the leading representative of the Reformation. He formulated thetwenty-eight articles of the evangelical faith known as the "AugsburgConfession. " The Lutherans of extreme Calvinistic views were alienatedby Melanchthon's subsequent modifications of this confession, and by histreatises in ethics. He and his followers were bitterly assailed, buthis irenic spirit did not forsake him. He was a true child of theRenaissance, and is styled by some writers "the founder of generallearning throughout Europe. " While he was never called or ordained tothe ministry of the Church, he was in the habit of addressing the localreligious assemblies or collegia from time to time, and, being a man ofprofound piety, his sympathetic and natural style of delivery made himan impressive speaker. He died in 1560, and his body was laid besidethat of Martin Luther. MELANCHTHON1497--1560 THE SAFETY OF THE VIRTUOUS _Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. _--John x, 28. To Thee, almighty and true God, eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of heaven and earth, and of all creatures, together with Thy Sonour Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost--to Thee, the wise, good, true, righteous, compassionate, pure, gracious God, we render thanksthat Thou hast hitherto upheld the Church in these lands, and graciouslyafforded it protection and care, and we earnestly beseech Thee evermoreto gather among us an inheritance for Thy Son, which may praise Thee toall eternity. I have in these, our assemblies, often uttered partly admonitions andpartly reproofs, which I hope the most of you will bear in mind. Butsince I must presume that now the hearts of all are wrung with a newgrief and a new pang by reason of the war in our neighborhood, thisseason seems to call for a word of consolation. And, as we commonly say, "Where the pain is there one claps his hand, " I could not, in this sogreat affliction, make up my mind to turn my discourse upon any othersubject. I do not, indeed, doubt that you yourselves seek comfort in thedivine declarations, yet will I also bring before you some thingscollected therefrom, because always that on which we had ourselvesthought becomes more precious to us when we hear that it proves itselfsalutary also to others. And because long discourses are burdensome intime of sorrow and mourning, I will, without delay, bring forward thatcomfort which is the most effectual. Our pains are best assuaged when something good and beneficial, especially some help toward a happy issue, presents itself. All othertopics of consolation, such as men borrow from the unavoidableness ofsuffering, and the examples of others, bring us no great alleviation. But the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified for us andraised again, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, offers ushelp and deliverance, and has manifested this disposition in manydeclarations. I will now speak of the words: "No man shall pluck mysheep out of my hand. " This expression has often raised me up out of thedeepest sorrow, and drawn me, as it were, out of hell. The wisest men in all times have bewailed the great amount of humanmisery which we see with our eyes before we pass into eternity--diseases, death, want, our own errors, by which we bring harm and punishment onourselves, hostile men, unfaithfulness on the part of those with whom weare closely connected, banishment, abuse, desertion, miserable children, public and domestic strife, wars, murder, and devastation. And sincesuch things appear to befall good and bad without distinction, many wisemen have inquired whether there were any Providence, or whether accidentbrings everything to pass independent of a divine purpose? But we in theChurch know that the first and principal cause of human woe is this, that on account of sin man is made subject to death and other calamity, which is so much more vehement in the Church, because the devil, fromthe hatred toward God, makes fearful assaults on the Church and strivesto destroy it utterly. Therefore it is written: "I will put enmity between the serpent and theseed of the woman. " And Peter says: "Your adversary, the devil, as aroaring lion, walketh about and seeketh whom he may devour. " Not in vain, however, has God made known to us the causes of our misery. We should not only consider the greatness of our necessity, but alsodiscern the causes of it, and recognize His righteous anger against sin, to the end that we may, on the other hand, perceive the Redeemer and thegreatness of His compassion; and as witnesses to these, Hisdeclarations, He adds the raising of dead men to life, and othermiracles. Let us banish from our hearts, therefore, the unbelieving opinions whichimagine that evils befall us by mere chance, or from physical causes. But when thou considerest the wounds in thy own circle of relations, ordost cast a glance at the public disorders in the State, which againafflict the individual also (as Solon says: "The general corruptionpenetrates even to thy quiet habitation"), then think, first, of thy ownand others' sins, and of the righteous wrath of God; and, secondly, weigh the rage of the devil, who lets loose his hate chiefly in theChurch. In all men, even the better class, great darkness reigns. We see not howgreat an evil sin is, and regard not ourselves as so shamefully defiled. We flatter ourselves, in particular, because we profess a betterdoctrine concerning God. Nevertheless, we resign ourselves to a carelessslumber, or pamper each one his own desires; our impurity, the disordersof the Church, the necessity of brethren, fills us not with pain;devotion is without fire and fervor; zeal for doctrine and disciplinelanguishes, and not a few are my sins, and thine, and those of manyothers, by reason of which such punishments are heaped upon us. Let us, therefore, apply our hearts to repentance, and direct our eyesto the Son of God, in respect to whom we have the assurance that, afterthe wonderful counsel of God, He is placed over the family of man, to bethe protector and preserver of his Church. We perceive not fully either of our wretchedness or our dangers, or thefury of enemies, until after events of extraordinary sorrowfulness. Still we ought to reflect thus: there must exist great need and afearful might and rage of enemies, since so powerful a protector hasbeen given to us, even God's Son. When He says: "No man shall pluck mysheep out of my hand, " He indicates that He is no idle spectator of woe, but that mighty and incessant strife is going on. The devil incites histools to disturb the Church or the political commonwealth, thatboundless confusion may enter, followed by heathenish desolation. Butthe Son of God, who holds in His hands, as it were, the congregation ofthose who call upon His name, hurls back the devils by His infinitepower, conquers and chases them thence, and will one day shut them up inthe prison of hell, and punish them to all eternity with fearful pains. This comfort we must hold fast in regard to the entire Church, as wellas each in regard to himself. If, in these distracted and warring times, we see States blaze up andfall to ruin, then look away to the Son of God, who stands in the secretcounsel of the Godhead and guards His little flock and carries the weaklambs, as it were, in His own hands. Be persuaded that by Him thou alsoshalt be protected and upheld. Here some, not rightly instructed, will exclaim: "Truly I could wish tocommend myself to such a keeper, but only His sheep does He preserve. Whether I also am counted in that flock, I know not. " Against thisdoubt we must most strenuously contend, for the Lord Himself assures usin this very passage, that all who "hear and with faith receive thevoice of the gospel are His sheep"; and He says expressly: "If a manlove me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we willcome to him and make our abode with him. " These promises of the Son ofGod, which can not be shaken, we must confidently appropriate toourselves. Nor shouldst thou, by thy doubts, exclude thyself from thisblest flock, which originates in the righteousness of the gospel. Theydo not rightly distinguish between the law and the gospel, who, becausethey are unworthy, reckon not themselves among the sheep. Rather is thisconsolation afforded us, that we are accepted "for the Son of God'ssake, " truly, without merit, not on account of our own righteousness, but through faith, because we are unworthy, and impure, and far fromhaving fulfilled the law of God. That is, moreover, a universal promise, in which the Son of God saith: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and areheavy laden, and I will give you rest. " The eternal Father earnestly commands that we should hear the Son, andit is the greatest of all transgressions if we despise Him and do notapprove His voice. This is what every one should often and diligentlyconsider, and in this disposition of the Father, revealed through theSon, find grace. Altho, amid so great disturbances, many a sorrowful spectacle meetsthine eye, and the Church is rent by discord and hate, and manifold anddomestic public necessity is added thereto, still let not despairovercome thee, but know thou that thou hast the Son of God for a keeperand protector, who will not suffer either the Church, or thee, or thyfamily, to be plucked out of His hand by the fury of the devil. With all my heart, therefore, do I supplicate the Son of God, our LordJesus Christ, who, having been crucified for us, and raised again, sitsat the right hand of the Father, to bless men with His gifts, and to HimI pray that He would protect and govern this little church and metherein. Other sure trust, in this great flame when the whole world ison fire, I discern nowhere. Each one has his separate hopes, and eachone with his understanding seeks to repose in something else; buthowever good that may all be, it is still a far better, andunquestionably a more effectual, consolation to flee to the Son of Godand expect help and deliverances from Him. Such wishes will not be in vain. For to this end are we laden with sucha crowd of dangers, that in events and occurrences which to humanprudence are an inexplicable enigma, we may recognize the infinitegoodness and presentness of God, in that He, for His Son's sake, andthrough His Son, affords us aid. God will be owned in such deliverancejust as in the deliverance of your first parents, who, after the fall, when they were forsaken by all the creatures, were upheld by the help ofGod alone. So was the family of Noah in the flood, so were theIsraelites preserved when in the Red Sea they stood between the toweringwalls of waters. These glorious examples are held up before us, that wemight know, in like manner, the Church, without the help of any createdbeings, is often preserved. Many in all times have experienced suchdivine deliverance and support in their personal dangers, as Davidsaith: "My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord taketh meup"; and in another place David saith: "He hath delivered the wretched, who hath no helper. " But in order that we may become partakers of theseso great blessings, faith and devotion must be kindled within us, as itstands written, "Verily, I say unto you!" So likewise must our faith beexercised, that before deliverance we should pray for help and wait forit, resting in God with a certain cheerfulness of soul; and that weshould not cherish continual doubt and melancholy murmuring in ourhearts, but constantly set before our eyes the admonition of God: "Thepeace of God which passeth all understanding keep your heart and mind";which is to say, be so comforted in God, in time of danger, that yourhearts, having been strengthened by confidence in the pity andpresentness of God, may patiently wait for help and deliverance, andquietly maintain that peaceful serenity which is the beginning ofeternal life, and without which there can be no true devotion. For distrust and doubt produce a gloomy and terrible hate toward God, and that is the beginning of the eternal torments, and a rage like thatof the devil. Now you must guard against these billows in the soul, and these stormyagitations, and, by meditation on the precious promises of God, keep andestablish your hearts. Truly these times allow not the wonted security and the wontedintoxication of the world, but they demand that with honest groans weshould cry for help, as the Lord saith, "Watch and pray that ye fall notinto temptation, " that ye may not, being overcome by despair, plungeinto everlasting destruction. There is need of wisdom to discern thedangers of the soul, as well as the safeguard against them. Souls go toruin as well when, in epicurean security, they make light of the wrathof God as when they are overcome by doubt and cast down by anxioussorrow, and these transgressions aggravate the punishment. The godly, onthe other hand, who by faith and devotion keep their hearts erect andnear to God, enjoy the beginning of eternal life and obtain mitigationof the general distress. We, therefore, implore Thee, Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ, who, havingbeen crucified and raised for us, standest in the secret counsel of theGodhead, and makest intercession for us, and hast said: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. " I callupon Thee, and with my whole heart beseech Thee, according to Thineinfinite compassion, forgive us our sins. Thou knowest that in our greatweakness we are not able to bear the burden of our woe. Do Thou, therefore, afford us aid in our private and public necessities; be Thouour shelter and protector, uphold the churches in these lands, and allwhich serves for their defense and safeguard. KNOX THE FIRST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE John Knox, the great Scottish reformer, was born at Giffordgate, fourmiles from Haddington, Scotland, in 1505. He first made his appearanceas a preacher in Edinburgh, where he thundered against popery, but wasimprisoned and sent to the galleys in 1546. In 1547 Edward VI securedhis release and made him a royal chaplain, when he acquired thefriendship of Cranmer and other reformers. On the accession of Mary(1553) he took refuge on the Continent. In 1556 he accepted the chargeof a church in Geneva, but, after three years of tranquillity, returnedto Scotland and became a popular leader of the Reformation in thatcountry. His eloquence lashed the multitude to enthusiasm and acts ofturbulent violence. As a preacher his style was direct and fearless, often fiery, and he had a habit of pounding the pulpit to emphasizeparticular truths. He died in 1572. KNOX1505--1572 THE FIRST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST _Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be temptedof the devil_. --Matt. Iv. , 1. The cause moving me to treat of this place of Scripture is, that such asby the inscrutable providence of God fall into divers temptations, judgenot themselves by reason thereof to be less acceptable in God'spresence. But, on the contrary, having the way prepared to victory byJesus Christ, they shall not fear above measure the crafty assaults ofthat subtle serpent Satan; but with joy and bold courage, having such aguide as here is pointed forth, such a champion, and such weapons ashere are to be found (if with obedience we will hear, and unfeignedfaith believe), we may assure ourselves of God's present favor, and offinal victory, by the means of Him, who, for our safeguard anddeliverance, entered in the battle, and triumphed over His adversary, and all his raging fury. And that this being heard and understood, maythe better be kept in memory; this order, by God's grace, we propose toobserve, in treating the matter: First, What this word temptationmeaneth, and how it is used within the Scriptures. Secondly, Who is heretempted and at what time this temptation happened. Thirdly, How and bywhat means He was tempted. Fourthly, Why He should suffer thesetemptations, and what fruits ensue to us from the same. First, Temptation, or to tempt, in the Scriptures of God, is called totry, to prove, or to assault the valor, the power, the will, thepleasure, or the wisdom--whether it be of God, or of creatures. And itis taken sometimes in good part, as when it is said that God temptedAbraham; God tempted the people of Israel; that is, God did try andexamine them, not for His own knowledge, to whom nothing is hid, but tocertify others how obedient Abraham was to God's commandment, and howweak and inferior Israelites were in their journey toward the promisedland. And this temptation is always good, because it proceedsimmediately from God, to open and make manifest the secret motions ofmen's hearts, the puissance and power of God's word, and the greatlenity and gentleness of God toward the iniquities (yea, horrible sinsand rebellions) of those whom He hath received into His regimen andcare. For who could have believed that the bare word of God could sohave moved the heart and affections of Abraham, that to obey God'scommandment he determined to kill, with his own hand, his best-belovedson Isaac? Who could have trusted that, so many torments as Jobsuffered, he should not speak in all his great temptation one foolishword against God? Or who could have thought that God so mercifullyshould have pardoned so many and so manifest transgressions committed byHis people in the desert, and yet that His mercy never utterly leftthem, but still continued with them, till at length he performed Hispromise made to Abraham? Who, I say, would have been persuaded of thesethings, unless by trials and temptations taken of His creatures by God, they had come by revelation made in His holy Scriptures to ourknowledge? And so this kind of temptation is profitable, good, andnecessary, as a thing proceeding from God, who is the fountain of allgoodness, to the manifestation of His own glory, and to the profit ofthe suffered, however the flesh may judge in the hour of temptation. Otherwise temptation, or to tempt, is taken in evil part; that is, hethat assaults or assails intends destruction and confusion to him thatis assaulted. As when Satan tempted the women in the garden, Job bydivers tribulations, and David by adultery. The scribes and Phariseestempted Christ by divers means, questions, and subtleties. And of thismatter, saith St. James, "God tempteth no man"; that is, by temptationproceeding immediately from Him He intends no man's destruction. Andhere you shall note, that altho Satan appears sometimes to prevailagainst God's elect, yet he is ever frustrated of his final purpose. Bytemptation He led Eve and David from the obedience of God, but He couldnot retain them forever under His thraldom. Power was granted to Him tospoil Job of his substance and children, and to strike his body with aplague and sickness most vile and fearful, but He could not compel hismouth to blaspheme God's majesty; and, therefore, altho we are laid opensometimes, as it were, to tribulation for a time, it is that when He haspoured forth the venom of His malice against God's elect it may returnto His own confusion, and that the deliverance of God's children may bemore to His glory, and the comfort of the afflicted: knowing that Hishand is so powerful, His mercy and good-will so prompt, that He deliversHis little ones from their cruel enemy, even as David did his sheep andlambs from the mouth of the lion. For a little benefit received inextreme danger more moves us than the preservation from ten thousandperils, so that we fall not into them. And yet to preserve from dangersand perils so that we fall not into them, whether they are of body orspirit, is no less the work of God than to deliver from them; but theweakness of our faith does not perceive it: this I leave at the present. Also, to tempt means simply to prove or try without any determinatepurpose or profit or damage to ensue; as when the mind doubteth ofanything, and therein desires to be satisfied, without great love orextreme hatred of the thing that is tempted or tried. David tempted;that is, tried himself if he could go in harness. (I Sam. Xvii. ) AndGideon said, "Let not thine anger kindle against me, if I tempt theeonce again. " So the Queen of Sheba came to tempt Solomon in subtlequestions. This famous queen, not fully trusting the report and famethat was spread of Solomon, by subtle questions desired to prove hiswisdom; at the first, neither extremely hating nor fervently loving theperson of the king. And David, as a man not accustomed to harness, wouldtry how he was able to go, and behave and fashion himself therein, before he would hazard battle with Goliath so armed. And Gideon, notsatisfied in his conscience by the first that he received, desired, without contempt or hatred of God, a second time to be certified of hisvocation. In this sense must the apostle be expounded when he commandsus to tempt; that is, to try and examine ourselves, if we stand in thefaith. Thus much for the term. Now to the person tempted, and to the time and place of his temptation. The person tempted is the only well-beloved Son of God; the time wasimmediately after His baptism; and the place was the desert orwilderness. But that we derive advantage from what is related, we mustconsider the same more profoundly. That the Son of God was thus temptedgives instructions to us, that temptations, altho they be ever sogrievous and fearful, do not separate us from God's favor and mercy, butrather declare the great graces of God to appertain to us, which makesSatan to rage as a roaring lion; for against none does He so fiercelyfight as against those of whose hearts Christ has taken possession. The time of Christ's temptation is here most diligently to be noted. Andthat was, as Mark and Luke witness, immediately after the voice of Godthe Father had commended His Son to the world, and had visibly pointedto Him by the sign of the Holy Ghost; He was led or moved by the Spiritto go to a wilderness, where forty days he remained fasting among thewild beasts. This Spirit which led Christ into the wilderness was notthe devil, but the holy Spirit of God the Father, by whom Christ, astouching His human and manly nature, was conducted and led; likewise bythe same Spirit He was strengthened and made strong, and, finally, raised up from the dead. The Spirit of God, I say, led Christ to theplace of His battle, where He endured the combat for the whole fortydays and nights. As Luke saith, "He was tempted, " but in the end mostvehemently, after His continual fasting, and that He began to be hungry. Upon this forty days and this fasting of Christ do our Papists foundand build their Lent; for, say they, all the actions of Christ are ourinstructions; what He did we ought to follow. But He fasted forty days, therefore we ought to do the like. I answer, that if we ought to followall Christ's actions, then ought we neither to eat nor drink for thespace of forty days, for so fasted Christ; we ought to go upon thewaters with our feet; to cast out devils by our word; to heal and cureall sorts of maladies; to call again the dead to life; for so didChrist. This I write only that men may see the vanity of those who, boasting themselves of wisdom, have become fools. Did Christ fast those forty days to teach us superstitious fasting? Canthe Papists assure me, or any other man, which were the forty days thatChrist fasted? plain it is he fasted the forty days and nights thatimmediately followed His baptism, but which they were, or in what monthwas the day of His baptism, Scripture does not express; and altho theday were exprest, am I or any Christian bound to counterfeit Christ'sactions as the ape counterfeits the act or work of man? He Himselfrequires no such obedience of His true followers, but saith to theapostles, "Go and preach the gospel to all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; commanding them toobserve and keep all that I have commanded you. " Here Christ Jesusrequires the observance of His precepts and commandments, not of Hisactions, except in so far as He had also commanded them; and so must theapostle be understood when he saith, "Be followers of Christ, for Christhath suffered for us, that we should follow His footsteps, " which cannot be understood of every action of Christ, either in the mystery ofour redemption, or in His actions and marvelous works, but only of thosewhich He hath commanded us to observe. But where the Papists are sodiligent in establishing their dreams and fantasies, they lose theprofit that here is to be gathered; that is, why Christ fasted thoseforty days; which were a doctrine more necessary for Christians than tocorrupt the simple hearts with superstition, as tho the wisdom of God, Christ Jesus, had taught us no other mystery by His fasting than theabstinence from flesh, or once on the day to eat flesh, for the space offorty days. God hath taken a just vengeance upon the pride of such men, while He thus confounds the wisdom of those that do most glory inwisdom, and strikes with blindness such as will be guides and lanternsto the feet of others, and yet refuse themselves to hear or follow thelight of God's word. From such deliver thy poor flock, O Lord! The uses of Christ's fasting these forty days I find chiefly to be two:The first, to witness to the world the dignity and excellence of Hisvocation, which Christ, after His baptism, was to take upon Him openly;the other, to declare that he entered into battle willingly for ourcause, and does, as it were, provoke his adversary to assault Him: althoChrist Jesus, in the eternal counsel of His Father, was appointed to bethe Prince of Peace, the angel (that is, the messenger) of Histestament, and He alone that could fight our battles for us, yet He didnot enter in execution of it, in the sight of men, till He was commendedto mankind by the voice of His heavenly Father; and as He was placed andanointed by the Holy Ghost by a visible sign given to the eyes of men. After which time He was led to the desert, and fasted, as before issaid; and this He did to teach us with what fear, carefulness, andreverence the messengers of the Word ought to enter on their vocation, which is not only most excellent (for who is worthy to be God'sambassador?) but also subject to most extreme troubles and dangers. Forhe that is appointed pastor, watchman, or preacher, if he feed not withhis whole power, if he warn and admonish not when he sees the snarecome, and if, in doctrine, he divide not the Word righteously, the bloodand souls of those that perish for lack of food, admonition, anddoctrine shall be required of his hand. But to our purpose; that Christ exceeded not the space of forty days inHis fasting, He did it to the imitation of Moses and Elias; of whom, theone before the receiving of the law, and the other before thecommunication and reasoning which he had with God in Mount Horeb, inwhich He was commanded to anoint Hazael king over Syria, and Jehu kingover Israel, and Elisha to be prophet, fasted the same number of days. The events that ensued and followed this supernatural fasting of thesetwo servants of God, Moses and Elias, impaired and diminished thetyranny of the kingdom of Satan. For by the law came the knowledge ofsin, the damnation of such impieties, specially of idolatry, and such asthe devil had invented; and, finally, by the law came such a revelationof God's will that no man could justly afterward excuse his sin byignorance, by which the devil before had blinded many. So that the law, altho it might not renew and purge the heart, for that the Spirit ofChrist Jesus worketh by faith only, yet it was a bridle that did hinderand stay the rage of external wickedness in many, and was a schoolmasterthat led unto Christ. For when man can find no power in himself to dothat which is commanded, and perfectly understands, and when he believesthat the curse of God is pronounced against those that abide not ineverything that is commanded in God's law to do them--the man, I say, that understands and knows his own corrupt nature and God's severejudgment, most gladly will receive the free redemption offered by ChristJesus, which is the only victory that overthrows Satan and his power. And so by the giving of the law God greatly weakened, impaired, and madefrail the tyranny and kingdom of the devil. In the days of Elias, thedevil had so prevailed that kings and rulers made open war against God, killing His prophets, destroying His ordinances, and building upidolatry, which did so prevail that the prophet complained that of allthe true fearers and worshipers of God he was left alone, and wickedJezebel sought His life also. After this, his fasting and complaint, hewas sent by God to anoint the persons aforenamed, who took suchvengeance upon the wicked and obstinate idolaters that he who escapedthe sword of Hazael fell into the hands of Jehu, and those whom Jehuleft escaped not God's vengeance under Elisha. The remembrance of this was fearful to Satan, for, at the coming ofChrist Jesus, impiety was in the highest degree among those thatpretended most knowledge of God's will; and Satan was at such rest inhis kingdom that the priests, scribes and Pharisees had taken away thekey of knowledge; that is, they had so obscured and darkened God's HolyScriptures, by false glosses and vain traditions, that neither wouldthey themselves enter into the kingdom of God, nor suffer and permitothers to enter; but with violence restrained, and with tyranny struckback from the right way, that is, from Christ Jesus Himself, such aswould have entered into the possession of life everlasting by Him. Satan, I say, having such dominion over the chief rulers of the visibleChurch, and espying in Christ, such graces as before he had not seen inman, and considering Him to follow in fasting the footsteps of Moses andElias, no doubt greatly feared that the quietness and rest of his mostobedient servants, the priests, and their adherents, would be troubledby Christ. And, therefore, by all engines and craft, he assaults Him tosee what advantage he could have of Him. And Christ did not repel him, as by the power of His Godhead He might have done, that he should nottempt Him, but permitted him to spend all his artillery, and receivedthe strokes and assaults of Satan's temptations in His own body, to theend He might weaken and enfeeble the strength and tyrannous power of ouradversary by His long suffering. For thus, methinks, our Master andChampion, Jesus Christ, provoked our enemy to battle: "Satan, thougloriest of thy power and victories over mankind, that there is noneable to withstand thy assaults, nor escape thy darts, but at one timeor other thou givest him a wound: lo! I am a man like to my brethren, having flesh and blood, and all properties of man's nature (sin, whichis thy venom, excepted); tempt, try, and assault me; I offer you here aplace most convenient--the wilderness. There shall be no mortal tocomfort me against thy assaults; thou shalt have time sufficient; dowhat thou canst, I shall not fly the place of battle. If thou becomevictor, thou shalt still continue in possession of thy kingdom in thiswretched world; but if thou canst not prevail against me, then must thyprey and unjust spoil be taken from thee; thou must grant thyselfvanquished and confounded, and must be compelled to leave off from allaccusation of the members of my body; for to them appertains the fruitof my battle, my victory is theirs, as I am appointed to take thepunishment of their sins in my body. " What comfort ought the remembrance of these signs to be to our hearts!Christ Jesus hath fought our battle; He Himself hath taken us into Hiscare and protection; however the devil may rage by temptations, be theyspiritual or corporeal, he is not able to bereave us out of the hand ofthe almighty Son of God. To Him be all glory for His mercies mostabundantly poured upon us! There remains yet to be spoken of the time when our Lord was tempted, which began immediately after His baptism. Whereupon we have to notethe mark, that altho the malice of Satan never ceases, but always seeksfor means to trouble the godly, yet sometimes he rages more fiercelythan others, and that is commonly when God begins to manifest His loveand favor to any of His children, and at the end of their battle, whenthey are nearest to obtain final victory. The devil, no doubt, did atall times envy the humble spirit that was in Abel, but he did not stirup the cruel heart of Cain against him till God declared His favortoward him by accepting his sacrifice. The same we find in Jacob, Joseph, David, and most evidently in Christ Jesus. How Satan raged atthe tidings of Christ's nativity! what blood he caused to be shed onpurpose to have murdered Christ in His infancy! The evangelist St. Matthew witnesses that in all the coasts and borders of Bethlehem thechildren of two years old and less age were murdered without mercy. Afearful spectacle and horrid example of insolent and unaccustomedtyranny! And what is the cause moving Satan thus to rage againstinnocents, considering that by reason of their imperfections they couldnot hurt his kingdom at that instant? Oh, the crafty eye of Satan lookedfarther than to the present time; he heard reports by the three wisemen, that they had learned by the appearance of a star that the King ofthe Jews was born; and he was not ignorant that the time prophesied ofChrist's coming was then instant; for a stranger was clad with the crownand scepter of Judah. The angel had declared the glad tidings to theshepherds, that a Savior, which was Christ the Lord, was born in thecity of David. All these tidings inflamed the wrath and malice of Satan, for he perfectly understood that the coming of the promised Seed wasappointed to his confusion, and to the breaking down of his head andtyranny; and therefore he raged most cruelly, even at the first hearingof Christ's birth, thinking that altho he could not hinder nor withstandHis coming, yet he could shorten his days upon earth, lest by long lifeand peaceable quietness in it, the number of good men, by Christ'sdoctrine and virtuous life, should be multiplied; and so he strove tocut Him away among the other children before He could open His mouth onHis Father's message. Oh, cruel serpent! in vain dost thou spend thyvenom, for the days of God's elect thou canst not shorten! And when thewheat is fallen on the ground, then doth it most multiply. But from these things mark, what hath been the practise of the devilfrom the beginning--most cruelly to rage against God's children when Godbegins to show them His mercy. And, therefore, marvel not, dearlybeloved, altho the like come unto you. If Satan fume or roar against you, whether it be against your bodies bypersecution, or inwardly in your conscience by a spiritual battle, benot discouraged, as tho you were less acceptable in God's presence, oras if Satan might at any time prevail against you. No; your temptationsand storms, that arise so suddenly, argue and witness that the seedwhich is sown is fallen on good ground, begins to take root and shall, by God's grace, bring forth fruit abundantly in due season andconvenient time. That is it which Satan fears, and therefore thus herages, and shall rage against you, thinking that if he can repulse younow suddenly in the beginning, that then you shall be at all times aneasy prey, never able to resist his assaults. But as my hope is good, so shall my prayer be, that so you may be strengthened, that the worldand Satan himself may perceive or understand that God fights yourbattle. For you remember that being present with you and treating of thesame place, I admonished you that Satan could not long sleep when hiskingdom was threatened. And therefore I willed you, if you were in mindto continue with Christ, to prepare yourselves for the day oftemptation. The person of the speaker is wretched, miserable, andnothing to be regarded, but the things that were spoken are theinfallible and eternal truth of God; without observation of which, lifeneither can or shall come to mankind. God grant you continuance to theend. This much have I briefly spoken of the temptation of Christ Jesus, whowas tempted; and of the time and place of His temptation. Now remains tobe spoken how He was tempted, and by what means. The most part ofexpositors think that all this temptation was in spirit and inimagination only, the corporeal senses being nothing moved. I willcontend with no man in such cases, but patiently will I suffer every manto abound in his own knowledge; and without prejudice of any man'sestimation, I offer my judgment to be weighed and considered byChristian charity. It appears to me by the plain text that Christsuffered this temptation in body and spirit. Likewise, as the hungerwhich Christ suffered, and the desert in which He remained, were notthings offered to the imagination, but that the body did verily remainin the wilderness among beasts, and after forty days did hunger andfaint for lack of food; so the external ear did hear the tempting wordsof Satan, which entered into the knowledge of the soul, and which, repelling the venom of such temptations, caused the tongue to speak andconfute Satan, to our unspeakable comfort and consolation. It appearsalso that the body of Christ Jesus was carried by Satan from thewilderness unto the temple of Jerusalem, and that it was placed uponthe pinnacle of the same temple, from whence it was carried to a highmountain and there tempted. If any man can show to the contrary hereofby the plain Scriptures of God, with all submission and thanksgiving Iwill prefer his judgment to my own; but if the matter stand only inprobability and opinion of men, then it is lawful for me to believe asthe Scripture here speaks; that is, that Satan spake and Christanswered, and Satan took Him and carried Him from one place to another. Besides the evidence of the text affirming that Satan was permitted tocarry the body of Christ from place to place, and yet was not permittedto execute any further tyranny against it, is most singular comfort tosuch as are afflicted or troubled in body or spirit. The weak and feebleconscience of man under such temptations, commonly gathers and collectsa false consequence. For man reasons thus: The body or the spirit isvexed by assaults and temptations of Satan, and he troubles or molestsit, therefore God is angry with it, and takes no care of it. I answer, tribulations or grievous vexations of body or of mind are never signs ofGod's displeasure against the sufferer, neither yet does it follow thatGod has cast away the care of His creatures because He permits them tobe molested and vexed for a time. For if any sort of tribulation werethe infallible sign of God's displeasure, then should we condemn thebest beloved children of God. But of this we may speak hereafter. Now tothe temptation. Verse 2. "And when he fasteth forty days and forty nights, He wasafterwards an hungered. " Verse 3. 'Then came to Him the tempter, ' andsaid, 'If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be madebread, ' etc. Why Christ fasted forty days and would not exceed the same, without sense and feeling of hunger, is before touched upon, that is, Hewould provoke the devil to battle by the wilderness and long abstinence, but He would not usurp or arrogate any more to Himself in that case thanGod had wrought with others, His servants and messengers before. ButChrist Jesus (as St. Augustine more amply declares), without feeling ofhunger, might have endured the whole year, or to time without end, aswell as He did endure the space of forty days. For the nature of mankindwas sustained those forty days by the invisible power of God, which isat all times of equal power. But Christ, willing to offer furtheroccasion to Satan to proceed in tempting of Him, permitted the humannature to crave earnestly that which it lacked, that is to say, refreshing of meat; which Satan perceiving took occasion, as before, totempt and assault. Some judge that Satan tempted Christ to gluttony, butthis appears little to agree with the purpose of the Holy Ghost; whoshows us this history to let us understand that Satan never ceases tooppugn the children of God, but continually, by one mean or other, drives or provokes them to some wicked opinions of their God; and tohave them desire stones to be converted into bread, or to desire hungerto be satisfied, has never been sin, nor yet a wicked opinion of God. And therefore I doubt not but the temptation was more spiritual, moresubtle, and more dangerous. Satan had respect to the voice of God, whichhad pronounced Christ to be His well-beloved Son, etc. Against thisvoice he fights, as his nature is ever to do against the assured andimmutable Word of God; for such is his malice against God, and againstHis chosen children, that where and to whom God pronounces love andmercy, to these he threatens displeasures and damnation; and where Godthreatens death, there is he bold to pronounce life; and for this courseis Satan called a liar from the beginning. And so the purpose of Satanwas to drive Christ into desperation, that he should not believe theformer voice of God His Father; which appears to be the meaning of thistemptation: "Thou hast heard, " would Satan say, "a voice proclaimed inthe air, that Thou wast the beloved Son of God, in whom His soul waspleased; but mayst Thou not be judged more than mad, and weaker than thebrainless fool if Thou believest any such promise? Where are the signsof His love? Art Thou not cast out from comfort of all creatures? Thouart in worse case than the brute beasts, for every day they hunt fortheir prey, and the earth produces grass and herbs for their sustenance, so that none of them are pined and consumed away by hunger; but Thouhast fasted forty days and nights, ever waiting for some relief andcomfort from above, but Thy best provision is hard stones! If Thou dostglory in thy God, and dost verily believe the promise that is made, command that these stones be bread. But evident it is that so Thou canstnot do; for if Thou couldst, or if Thy God would have showed Thee anysuch pleasure, Thou mightest long ago have removed Thy hunger, andneedest not have endured this languishing for lack of food. But seeingThou hast long continued thus, and no provision is made for Thee, it isvanity longer to believe any such promise, and therefore despair of anyhelp from God's hand, and provide for Thyself by some other means!" Many words have I used here, dearly beloved, but I can not express thethousandth part of the malicious despite which lurked in this onetemptation of Satan. It was a mocking of Christ and of His obedience. Itwas a plain denial of God's promise. It was the triumphing voice of himthat appeared to have gotten victory. Oh, how bitter this temptationwas no creature can understand but such as feel the grief of such dartsas Satan casts at the tender conscience of those that gladly would restand repose in God, and in the promises of His mercy. But here is to benoted the ground and foundation. The conclusion of Satan is this: Thouart none of God's elect, much less His well-beloved Son. His reason isthis: Thou art in trouble and findest no relief. There the foundation ofthe temptation was Christ's poverty, and the lack of food without hopeof remedy to be sent from God. And it is the same temptation which thedevil objected to Him by the princes of the priests in His grievoustorments upon the cross; for thus they cried, "If he be the Son of God, let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him; he trustedin God, let him deliver him, if he have the pleasure in him. " As thothey would say, God is the deliverer of His servants from troubles; Godnever permits those that fear Him to come to confusion; this man we seein extreme trouble; if He be the Son of God, or even a true worshiper ofHis name, He will deliver Him from this calamity. If He deliver Him not, but suffer Him to perish in these anguishes, then it is an assured signthat God has rejected Him as a hypocrite, that shall have no portion ofHis glory. Thus, I say, Satan takes occasion to tempt, and moves alsoothers to judge and condemn God's elect and chosen children, by reasonthat troubles are multiplied upon them. But with what weapons we ought to fight against such enemies andassaults we shall learn in the answer of Christ Jesus, which follows:But He, answering, said "It is written, man shall not live by breadalone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. " Thisanswer of Christ proves the sentence which we have brought of theaforesaid temptation to be the very meaning of the Holy Ghost; forunless the purpose of Satan has been to have removed Christ from allhope of God's merciful providence toward Him in that His necessity, Christ had not answered directly to his words, saying, "Command thatthese stones be made bread. " But Christ Jesus, perceiving his art andmalicious subtility, answered directly to his meaning, His words nothingregarded; by which Satan was so confounded that he was ashamed to replyany further. But that you may the better understand the meaning of Christ's answer, we will express and repeat it over in more words. "Thou laborest, Satan, " would Christ say, "to bring into my heart a doubt and suspicionof My Father's promise, which was openly proclaimed in My baptism, byreason of My hunger, and that I lack all carnal provision. Thou art boldto affirm that God takes no care for Me, but thou art a deceitful andfalse corrupt sophister, and thy argument, too, is vain, and full ofblasphemies; for thou bindest God's love, mercy, and providence to thehaving or wanting of bodily provision, which no part of God's Scripturesteach us, but rather the express contrary. As it is written, 'Man dothnot live by bread alone, but by every word that proeeedeth out of themouth of God, ' that is, the very life and felicity of man consists notin the abundance of bodily things, or the possession and having of themmakes no man blest or happy; neither shall the lack of them be the causeof his final misery; but the very life of man consists in God, and inHis promises pronounced by His own mouth, unto which whoso cleavesunfeignedly shall live the life everlasting. And altho all creatures inearth forsake him, yet shall not his bodily life perish till the timeappointed by God approach. For God has means to feed, preserve, andmaintain, unknown to man's reason, and contrary to the common course ofnature. He fed His people Israel in the desert forty years without theprovision of man. He preserved Jonah in the whale's belly; andmaintained and kept the bodies of the three children in the furnace offire. Reason and the natural man could have seen nothing in these casesbut destruction and death, and could have judged nothing but that Godhad cast away the care of these, His creatures, and yet His providencewas most vigilant toward them in the extremity of their dangers, fromwhich He did so deliver them, and in the midst of them did so assistthem, that His glory, which is His mercy and goodness, did more appearand shine after their troubles than it could have done if they hadfallen in them. And therefore I measure not the truth and favor of Godby having or by lacking of bodily necessities, but by the promise whichHe has made to me. As He Himself is immutable, so is His word andpromise constant, which I believe, and to which I will adhere, and socleave, whatever can come to the body outwardly. " In this answer of Christ we may perceive what weapons are to be usedagainst our adversary the devil, and how we may confute his arguments, which craftily, and of malice, he makes against God's elect. Christmight have repulsed Satan with a word, or by commanding him to silence, as He to whom all power was given in heaven and earth; but it pleasedHis mercy to teach us how to use the sword of the Holy Ghost, which isthe word of God, in battle against our spiritual enemy. The Scripturewhich Christ brings is written in the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy. Itwas spoken by Moses a little before His death, to establish the peoplein God's merciful providence. For in the same chapter, and in certainothers that go before, He reckons the great travail and divers dangerswith the extreme necessities that they had sustained in the desert thespace of forty years, and yet, notwithstanding how constant God had beenin keeping and performing His promise, for throughout all perils He hadconducted them to the sight and borders of the promised land. And sothis Scripture more directly answers to the temptation of Satan; forthus does Satan reason, as before is said, "Thou art in poverty and hastno provision to sustain thy life. Therefore God takes no regard nor careof Thee, as He doth over His chosen children. " Christ Jesus answered:"Thy argument is false and vain; for poverty or necessity precludes notthe providence or care of God; which is easy to be proved by the peopleof God, Israel, who, in the desert, oftentimes lacked things necessaryto the sustenance of life, and for lack of the same they grudged andmurmured; yet the Lord never cast away the providence and care of them, but according to the word that He had once pronounced, to wit, that theywere His peculiar people; and according to the promise made to Abraham, and to them before their departure from Egypt, He still remained theirconductor and guide, till He placed them in peaceable possession of theland of Canaan, their great infirmities and manifold transgressionsnotwithstanding. " Thus are we taught, I say, by Christ Jesus, to repulse Satan and hisassaults by the Word of God, and to apply the examples of His mercies, which He has shown to others before us, to our own souls in the hour oftemptation, and in the time of our trouble. For what God doth to one atany time, the same appertains to all that depend upon God and Hispromises. And, therefore, however we are assaulted by Satan, ouradversary, within the Word of God is armor and weapons sufficient. Thechief craft of Satan is to trouble those that begin to decline from hisobedience, and to declare themselves enemies to iniquity, with diversassaults, the design whereof is always the same; that is, to putvariance betwixt them and God into their conscience, that they shouldnot repose and rest themselves in His assured promises. And to persuadethis, he uses and invents divers arguments. Sometimes he calls the sinsof their youth, and which they have committed in the time of blindness, to their remembrance; very often he objects their unthankfulness towardGod and present imperfections. By sickness, poverty, tribulations intheir household, or by persecution, he can allege that God is angry, andregard them not. Or by the spiritual cross which few feel and fewerunderstand the utility and profit of, he would drive God's children todesperation, and by infinite means more, he goeth about seeking, like aroaring lion, to undermine and destroy our faith. But it is impossiblefor him to prevail against us unless we obstinately refuse to use thedefense and weapons that God has offered. Yea, I say, that God's electcan not refuse it, but seek for their Defender when the battle is moststrong; for the sobs, groans, and lamentations of such as fight, yea, the fear they have lest they be vanquished, the calling and prayer forcontinuance, are the undoubted and right seeking of Christ our champion. We refuse not the weapon, altho sometimes, by infirmity, we can not useit as we would. It suffices that your hearts unfeignedly sob for greaterstrength, for continuance, and for final deliverance by Christ Jesus;that which is wanting in us, His sufficiency doth supply; for it is Hethat fighteth and overcometh for us. But for bringing of the examples ofthe Scriptures, if God permit, in the end we shall speak more largelywhen it shall be treated why Christ permitted Himself thus to betempted. Sundry impediments now call me from writing in this matter, but, by God's grace, at convenient leisure I purpose to finish, and tosend it to you. I grant the matter that proceeds from me is not worthyof your pain and labor to read it; yet, seeing it is a testimony of mygood mind toward you, I doubt not but you will accept it in good part. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant unto you to find favorand mercy of the Judge, whose eyes and knowledge pierce through thesecret cogitations of the heart, in the day of temptation, which shallcome upon all flesh, according to that mercy which you (illuminated anddirected by His Holy Spirit) have showed to the afflicted. Now the Godof all comfort and consolation confirm and strengthen you in His powerunto the end. Amen. CALVIN ENDURING PERSECUTION FOR CHRIST BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE John Calvin was born in 1509, at Noyon, France. He has been called thegreatest of Protestant commentators and theologians, and the inspirer ofthe Puritan exodus. He often preached every day for weeks in succession. He possest two of the greatest elements in successful pulpit oratory, self-reliance and authority. It was said of him, as it was afterwardsaid of Webster, that "every word weighed a pound. " His style wassimple, direct, and convincing. He made men think. His splendidcontributions to religious thought, and his influence upon individualliberty, give him a distinguished place among great reformers andpreachers. His idea of preaching is thus exprest in his own words: "Truepreaching must not be dead, but living and effective. No parade ofrhetoric, but the Spirit of God must resound in the voice in order tooperate with power. " He died at Geneva in 1564. CALVIN1509--1564 ENDURING PERSECUTION FOR CHRIST _Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing hisreproach_. --Hebrews xiii. , 13. All the exhortations which can be given us to suffer patiently for thename of Jesus Christ, and in defense of the gospel, will have no effectif we do not feel assured of the cause for which we fight. For when weare called to part with life, it is absolutely necessary to know on whatgrounds. The firmness necessary we can not possess, unless it be foundedon certainty of faith. It is true that persons may be found who will foolishly exposethemselves to death in maintaining some absurd opinions and dreamsconceived by their own brain, but such impetuosity is more to beregarded as frenzy than as Christian zeal; and, in fact, there isneither firmness nor sound sense in those who thus, at a kind ofhaphazard, cast themselves away. But, however this may be, it is in agood cause only that God can acknowledge us as His martyrs. Death iscommon to all, and the children of God are condemned to ignominy andtortures as criminals are; but God makes the distinction between them, inasmuch as He can not deny His truth. On our part, then, it isrequisite that we have sure and infallible evidence of the doctrinewhich we maintain; and hence, as I have said, we can not be rationallyimprest by any exhortations which we receive to suffer persecution forthe gospel, if no true certainty of faith has been imprinted in ourhearts. For to hazard our life upon a peradventure is not natural, andtho we were to do it, it would only be rashness, not Christian courage. In a word, nothing that we do will be approved of God if we are notthoroughly persuaded that it is for Him and His cause we sufferpersecution, and the world is our enemy. Now, when I speak of such persuasion, I mean not merely that we mustknow how to distinguish between true religion and the abuses or folliesof men, but also that we must be thoroughly persuaded of the heavenlylife, and the crown which is promised us above, after we shall havefought here below. Let us understand, then, that both of theserequisites are necessary, and can not be separated from each other. Thepoints, accordingly, with which we must commence are these: We must knowwell what our Christianity is, what the faith which we have to hold andfollow, what the rule which God has given us; and we must be so wellfurnished with such instructions as to be able boldly to condemn all thefalsehoods, errors, and superstitions which Satan has introduced tocorrupt the pure simplicity of the doctrine of God. Hence, we ought notto be surprized that, in the present day, we see so few persons disposedto suffer for the gospel, and that the greater part of those who callthemselves Christians know not what it is. For all are, as it were, lukewarm; and instead of making it their business to hear or read, countit enough to have had some slight taste of Christian faith. This is thereason why there is so little decision, and why those who are assailedimmediately fall away. This fact should stimulate us to inquire morediligently into divine truth, in order to be well assured with, regardto it. Still, however, to be well informed and grounded is not the whole thatis necessary. For we see some who seem to be thoroughly imbued withsound doctrine, and who, notwithstanding, have no more zeal or affectionthan if they had never known any more of God than some fleeting fancy. Why is this? Just because they have never comprehended the majesty ofthe Holy Scriptures. And, in fact, did we, such as we are, consider wellthat it is God who speaks to us, it is certain that we would listen moreattentively, and with greater reverence. If we would think that inreading Scripture we are in the school of angels, we would be far morecareful and desirous to profit by the doctrine which is propounded tous. We now see the true method of preparing to suffer for the gospel. First, We must have profited so far in the school of God as to be decided inregard to true religion and the doctrine which we are to hold; and wemust despise all the wiles and impostures of Satan, and, all humaninventions, as things not only frivolous but also carnal, inasmuch asthey corrupt Christian purity; therein differing, like true martyrs ofChrist, from the fantastic persons who suffer for mere absurdities. Second, Feeling assured of the good cause, we must be inflamed, accordingly, to follow God whithersoever He may call us: His Word musthave such authority with us as it deserves, and having withdrawn fromthis world, we must feel as it were enraptured in seeking the heavenlylife. But it is more than strange that, tho the light of God is shining morebrightly than it ever did before, there is a lamentable want of zeal! Ifthe thought does not fill us with shame, so much the worse. For we mustshortly come before the great Judge, where the iniquity which weendeavor to hide will be brought forward with such upbraidings that weshall be utterly confounded. For, if we are obliged to bear testimony toGod, according to the measure of the knowledge which He has given us, to what is it owing, I would ask, that we are so cold and timorous inentering into battle, seeing that God has so fully manifested Himself atthis time that He may be said to have opened to us and displayed beforeus the great treasures of His secrets? May it not be said that we do notthink we have to do with God? For had we any regard to His Majesty wewould not dare to turn the doctrine which proceeds from Him into somekind of philosophic speculation. In short, it is impossible to deny thatit is our great shame, not to say fearful condemnation, that we have sowell known the truth of God, and have so little courage to maintain it! Above all, when we look to the martyrs of past times, well may we detestour own cowardice! The greater part of those were not persons muchversed in Holy Scripture, so as to be able to dispute on all subjects. They knew that there was one God, whom they behooved to worship andserve--that they had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, inorder that they might place their confidence of salvation in Him and inHis grace--and that, all the inventions of men being mere dross andrubbish, they ought to condemn all idolatries and superstitions. In oneword, their theology was in substance this--There is one God who createdall the world, and declared His will to us by Moses and the prophets, and finally by Jesus Christ and His apostles; and we have one soleRedeemer, who purchased us by His blood, and by whose grace we hope tobe saved: All the idols of the world are curst, and deserve execration. With a system embracing no other points than these, they went boldly tothe flames, or to any other kind of death. They did not go in twos orthrees, but in such bands that the number of those who fell by the handsof tyrants is almost infinite! We, on our part, are such learned clerksthat none can be more so (so at least we think), and, in fact, so far asregards the knowledge of Scripture, God has so spread it out before usthat no former age was ever so highly favored. Still, after all, thereis scarcely a particle of zeal. When men manifest such indifference, itlooks as if they were bent on provoking the vengeance of God. What then should be done in order to inspire our breasts with truecourage? We have, in the first place, to consider how precious theconfession of our faith is in the sight of God. We little know how muchGod prizes it, if our life, which is nothing, is valued by us morehighly. When it is so, we manifest a marvelous degree of stupidity. Wecan not save our life at the expense of our confession with outacknowledging that we hold it in higher estimation than the honor ofGod and the salvation of our souls. A heathen could say that "It was a miserable thing to save life bygiving up the only things which made life desirable!" And yet he andothers like him never knew for what end men are placed in the world, andwhy they live in it. It is true they knew enough to say that men oughtto follow virtue, to conduct themselves honestly and without reproach;but all their virtues were mere paint and smoke. We know far better whatthe chief aim of life should be, namely, to glorify God, in order thatHe may be our glory. When this is not done, wo to us! And we can notcontinue to live for a single moment upon the earth without heapingadditional curses on our heads. Still we are not ashamed to purchasesome few days to languish here below, renouncing eternal kingdom byseparating ourselves from Him by whose energy we are sustained in life. Were we to ask the most ignorant, not to say the most brutish, personsin the world why they live, they would not venture to answer simply thatit is to eat, and drink, and sleep; for all know that they have beencreated for a higher and holier end. And what end can we find if it benot to honor God, and allow ourselves to be governed by Him, likechildren by good parents; so that after we have finished the journey ofthis corruptible life, we may be received into His eternal inheritance?Such is the principal, indeed the sole end. When we do not take it intoaccount, and are intent on a brutish life, which is worse than athousand deaths, what can we allege for our excuse? To live and not knowwhy is unnatural. To reject the causes for which we live, under theinfluence of a foolish longing for a respite of some few days, duringwhich we are to live in the world, while separated from God--I know nothow to name such infatuation and madness! But as persecution is always harsh and bitter, let us consider how andby what means Christians may be able to fortify themselves withpatience, so as unflinchingly to expose their life for the truth of God. The text which we have read out, when it is properly understood, issufficient to induce us to do so. The apostle says, Let us go forth fromthe city after the Lord Jesus, bearing His reproach. In the first place, he reminds us, altho the swords should not be drawn against us nor thefires kindled to burn us, that we can not be truly united to the Son ofGod while we are rooted in this world. Wherefore a Christian, even inrepose, must always have one foot lifted to march to battle, and notonly so, but he must have his affections withdrawn from the world, althohis body is dwelling in it. Grant that this at first sight seems to ushard, still we must be satisfied with the words of St. Paul (I Thess. Iii. ), that we are called and appointed to suffer. As if He had said, Such is our condition as Christians; this is the road by which we mustgo if we would follow Christ. Meanwhile, to solace our infirmity and mitigate the vexation and sorrowwhich persecution might cause us, a good reward is held forth: Insuffering for the cause of God, we are walking step by step after theSon of God, and have Him for our guide. Were it simply said that to beChristians we must pass through all the insults of the world boldly, tomeet death at all times and in whatever way God may be pleased toappoint, we might apparently have some pretext for replying that it is astrange road to go at peradventure. But when we are commanded to followthe Lord Jesus, His guidance is too good and honorable to be refused. Now, in order that we may be more deeply moved, not only is it said thatJesus Christ walks before us as our Captain, but that we are madeconformable to His image; so St. Paul says in the eighth chapter to theRomans that God hath ordained all those whom He hath adopted for Hischildren, to be made conformable to Him who is the pattern and head ofall. Are we so delicate as to be unwilling to endure anything? Then we mustrenounce the grace of God by which He has called us to the hope ofsalvation. For there are two things which can not be separated--to bemembers of Christ, and to be tried by many afflictions. We certainlyought to prize such a conformity to the Son of God much more than we do. It is true, that in the world's judgment there is disgrace in sufferingfor the gospel. But since we know that believers are blind, ought we notto have better eyes than they? It is ignominy to suffer from those whooccupy the seat of justice, but St. Paul shows us by his example that wehave to glory in scourings for Jesus Christ, as marks by which Godrecognizes us and avows us for His own. And we know what St. Lukenarrates of Peter and John (Acts v. , 41); namely, that they rejoiced tohave been counted worthy to suffer infamy and reproach for the name ofthe Lord Jesus. Ignominy and dignity are two opposites: so says the world, which, beinginfatuated, judges against all reason, and in this way converts theglory of God into dishonor. But, on our part, let us not refuse to bevilified as concerns the world, in order to be honored before God andHis angels. We see what pains the ambitious take to receive the commandsof a king, and what a boast they make of it. The Son of God presents Hiscommands to us, and every one stands back. Tell me, pray, whether in sodoing are we worthy of having anything in common with Him? there isnothing here to attract our sensual nature, but such notwithstandingare the true escutcheons of nobility in the heavens. Imprisonment, exile, evil report, imply in men's imagination whatever is to bevituperated; but what hinders us from viewing things as God judges anddeclares them, save our unbelief? Wherefore, let the name of the Son ofGod have all the weight with us which it deserves, that we may learn tocount it honor when He stamps His marks upon us. If we act otherwise ouringratitude is insupportable. Were God to deal with us according to our desserts, would He not havejust cause to chastise us daily in a thousand ways? Nay more, a hundredthousand deaths would not suffice for a small portion of our misdeeds!Now, if in His infinite goodness He puts all our faults under His footand abolishes them, and instead of punishing us according to ourdemerit, devises an admirable means to convert our afflictions intohonor and a special privilege, inasmuch as through them we are takeninto partnership with His Son, must it not be said, when we disdain sucha happy state, that we have indeed made little progress in Christiandoctrine? Accordingly, St. Peter, after exhorting us (I Peter iv. , 15) to walk sopurely in the fear of God, as not to suffer as thieves, adulterers, andmurderers, immediately adds, that if we must suffer as Christians, letus glorify God for the blessing which He thus bestows upon us. It isnot without cause he speaks thus. For who are we, I pray, to bewitnesses of the truth of God, and advocates to maintain His cause? Herewe are poor worms of the earth, creatures full of vanity, full of lies, and yet God employs us to defend His truth--an honor which pertains noteven to the angels of heaven! May not this consideration alone wellinflame us to offer ourselves to God to be employed in any way in suchhonorable service? Many persons, however, can not refrain from pleading against God, or, atleast, from complaining against Him for not better supporting theirweakness. It is marvelously strange, they say, how God, after havingchosen us for His children, allows us to be trampled upon and tormentedby the ungodly. I answer: Even were it not apparent why He does so, Hemight well exercise His authority over us, and fix our lot at Hispleasure. But when we see that Jesus Christ is our pattern, ought wenot, without inquiring further, to esteem it great happiness that we aremade like Him? God, however, makes it very apparent what the reasons arefor which He is pleased that we should be persecuted. Had we nothingmore than the consideration suggested by St. Peter (I Peter i. , 7), wewere disdainful indeed not to acquiesce in it. He says that since goldand silver, which are only corruptible metals, are purified and testedby fire, it is but reasonable that our faith, which surpasses all theriches of the world, should be so tried. It were easy indeed for God to crown us at once without requiring us tosustain any combats; but as it is His pleasure that until the end of theworld Christ shall reign in the midst of His enemies, so it is also Hispleasure that we, being placed in the midst of them, shall suffer theiroppression and violence till He deliver us. I know, indeed, that theflesh rebels when it is to be brought to this point, but still the willof God must have the mastery. If we feel some repugnance in ourselves, it need not surprize us; for it is only too natural for us to shun thecross. Still let us not fail to surmount it, knowing that God acceptsour obedience, provided we bring all our feelings and wishes intocaptivity, and make them subject to Him. When prophets and apostles went to death, it was not without feelingsome inclination to recoil. "They shall carry thee whither thou wouldstnot, " said our Lord Jesus Christ to Peter. (John xxi. , 18. ) When suchfears of death arise within us, let us gain the mastery over them, orrather let God gain it; and meanwhile, let us feel assured that we offerHim a pleasing sacrifice when we resist and do violence to ourinclinations for the purpose of placing ourselves entirely under Hiscommand: This is the principle war in which God would have His peopleto be engaged. He would have them strive to suppress every rebelliousthought and feeling which would turn them aside from the path to whichHe points. And the consolations are so ample that it may well be said, we are more than cowards if we give away! In ancient times vast numbers of people, to obtain a simple crown ofleaves, refused no toil, no pain, no trouble; nay, it even cost themnothing to die, and yet every one of them fought for a peradventure, notknowing whether he was to gain or to lose the prize. God holds forth tous the immortal crown by which we may become partakers of His glory: Hedoes not mean us to fight at haphazard, but all of us have a promise ofthe prize for which we strive. Have we any cause then to decline thestruggle? Do we think it has been said in vain that if we die with JesusChrist we shall also live with Him? Our triumph is prepared, and yet wedo all we can to shun the combat. But it is said that all we teach on this subject is repugnant to humanjudgment. I confess it. And hence when our Savior declares, "Blest arethey which are persecuted for righteousness' sake" (Matt, v. , 10), Hegives utterance to a sentiment which is not easily received in theworld. On the contrary, He wishes to account that as happiness which inthe judgment of sense is misery. We seem to ourselves miserable whenGod leaves us to be trampled upon by the tyranny and cruelty of ourenemies; but the error is that we look not to the promises of God, whichassure us that all will turn to our good. We are cast down when we seethe wicked stronger than we, and planting their foot on our throat; butsuch confusion should rather, as St. Paul says, cause us to lift up ourheads. Seeing we are too much disposed to amuse ourselves with presentobjects, God in permitting the good to be maltreated, and the wicked tohave sway, shows by evident tokens that a day is coming on which allthat is now in confusion will be reduced to order. If the period seemsdistant, let us run to the remedy, and not flatter ourselves in our sin;for it is certain that we have no faith if we can not carry our viewsforward to the coming of Jesus Christ. To leave no means which may be fitted to stimulate us unemployed, Godsets before us promises on the one hand and threatenings on the other. Do we feel that the promises have not sufficient influence, let usstrengthen them by adding the threatenings. It is true we must beperverse in the extreme not to put more faith in the promises of God, when the Lord Jesus says that He will own us as His before His Father, provided we confess Him before men. (Matt x. , 32; Luke xii. , 8. ) Whatshould prevent us from making the confession which He requires? Let mendo their utmost, they can not do worse than murder us! and will not theheavenly life compensate for this? I do not here collect all thepassages in Scripture which bear on this subject: they are so oftenreiterated that we ought to be thoroughly satisfied with them. When thestruggle comes, if three or four passages do not suffice, a hundredsurely ought to make us proof against all contrary temptations. But if God can not will us to Himself by gentle means, must we not bemere blocks if His threatening also fail? Jesus Christ summons all thosewho from fear of temporal death shall have denied the truth, to appearat the bar of God his Father, and says, that then both body and soulwill be consigned to perdition. (Matt. X. , 28; Luke xii. , 5. ) And inanother passage He says that He will disclaim all those who shall havedenied Him before men. (Matt. X. , 33; Luke xii. , 10. ) These words, if weare not altogether impervious to feeling, might well make our hair standon end. Be this as it may, this much is certain; if these things do notmove us as they ought, nothing remains for us but a fearful judgment. (Heb. X. , 27. ) All the words of Christ having proved unavailing, westand convinced of gross infidelity. It is in vain for us to allege that pity should be shown us, inasmuch asour nature is so frail; for it is said, on the contrary, that Moses, having looked to God by faith, was fortified so as not to yield underany temptation. Wherefore, when we are thus soft and easy to bend, it isa manifest sign, I do not say that we have no zeal, no firmness, butthat we know nothing either of God or His kingdom. When we are remindedthat we ought to be united to our Head, it seems to us a fine pretextfor exemption to say that we are men. But what were those who havetrodden the path before us? Indeed, had we nothing more than puredoctrine, all the excuses we could make would be frivolous; but havingso many examples which ought to supply us with the strongest proof, themore deserving are we of condemnation. There are two points to be considered. The first is, that the whole body ofthe Church in general has always been, and to the end will be, liable tobe afflicted by the wicked, as is said in the Psalms (Psalms cxxix. , 1), "From my youth up they have tormented me, and dragged the plow over mefrom one end to the other. " The Holy Spirit there brings in the ancientChurch, in order that we, after being much acquainted with her afflictions, may not regard it as either new or vexatious when the like is done toourselves in the present day. St. Paul, also, in quoting from anotherPsalm (Rom. Vii. , 36; Psalm xliv. , 22), a passage which says, "We havebeen led like sheep to the slaughter"; shows that that has not been forone age only, but is the ordinary condition of the Church, and shall be. Therefore, on seeing how the Church of God is trampled upon in thepresent day by proud worldlings, how one barks and another bites, howthey torture, how they plot against her, how she is assailed incessantlyby mad dogs and savage beasts, let it remind us that the same thing wasdone in all the olden time. It is true God sometimes gives her a truceand time of refreshment, and hence in the Psalm above quoted it is said, "He cutteth the cords of the wicked"; and in another passage (Psalmcxxv. , 3), "He breaks their staff, lest the good should fall away, bybeing too hardly pressed. " But still it has pleased Him that His Churchshould always have to battle so long as she is in this world, her reposebeing treasured up on high in the heavens. (Heb. Iii. , 9. ) Meanwhile, the issue of her afflictions has always been fortunate. Atall events, God has caused that tho she has been prest by manycalamities, she has never been completely crusht; as it is said (Psalmvii. , 15), "The wicked with all their efforts have not succeeded in thatat which they aimed. " St. Paul glories in the fact, and shows that thisis the course which God in mercy always takes. He says (I Cor. Iv. , 12)that we endure tribulations, but we are not in agony; we areimpoverished, but not left destitute; we are persecuted, but notforsaken; cast down, but we perish not; bearing everywhere in our bodythe mortification of the Lord Jesus, in order that His life may bemanifested in our mortal bodies. Such being, as we see, the issue whichGod has at all times given to the persecutions of His Church, we oughtto take courage, knowing that our forefathers, who were frail men likeourselves, always had the victory over their enemies by remaining firmin endurance. I only touch upon this article briefly to come to the second, which ismore to our purpose, viz. , that we ought to take advantage of theparticular examples of the martyrs who have gone before us. These arenot confined to two or three, but are, as the apostle says (Heb. Xii. , 1), "So great a cloud of witnesses. " By this expression he intimates thatthe number is so great that it ought, as it were, completely to engrossour sight. Not to be tedious, I will only mention the Jews, who werepersecuted for the true religion, as well under the tyranny of KingAntiochus as a little after his death. We can not allege that the numberof sufferers was small, for it formed, as it were, a large army ofmartyrs. We can not say that it consisted of prophets whom God had setapart from common people, for women and young children formed part ofthe band. We can not say that they got off at a cheap rate, for theywere tortured as cruelly as it was possible to be. Accordingly, we hearwhat the apostle says (Heb. Xi. , 35), that some were stretched out likedrums, not caring to be delivered, that they might obtain a betterresurrection; others were proved by mockery and blows, or bonds andprisons; others were stoned or sawn asunder; others traveled up anddown, wandering among mountains and caves. Let us now compare their case with ours. If they so endured for thetruth which was at that time so obscure, what ought we to do in theclear light which is now shining? God speaks to us with open mouth; thegreat gate of the kingdom of heaven has been opened, and Jesus Christcalls us to Himself, after having come down to us that we might havehim, as it were, present to our eyes. What a reproach would it be to usto have less zeal in suffering for the gospel than those who had onlyhailed the promises afar off--who had only a little wicket openedwhereby to come to the kingdom of God, and who had only some memorialand type of Jesus Christ? These things can not be exprest in a word, asthey deserve, and therefore I leave each to ponder them for himself. The doctrine now laid down, as it is general, ought to be carried intopractise by all Christians, each applying it to his own use accordingas may be necessary. This I say, in order that those who do not seethemselves in apparent danger may not think it superfluous as regardsthem. They are not at this hour in the hands of tyrants, but how do theyknow what God means to do with them hereafter? We ought therefore to beso forearmed that if some persecution which we did not expect arrives, we may not be taken unawares. But I much fear that there are many deafears in regard to this subject. So far are those who are sheltered andat their ease from preparing to suffer death when need shall be thatthey do not even trouble themselves about serving God in their lives. Itnevertheless continues true that this preparation for persecution oughtto be our ordinary study, and especially in the times in which we live. Those, again, whom God calls to suffer for the testimony of His nameought to show by deeds that they have been thoroughly trained to patientendurance. Then ought they to recall to mind all the exhortations whichwere given them in times past, and bestir themselves just as the soldierrushes to arms when the tempest sounds. But how different is the result. The only question is how to find out subterfuges for escaping. I saythis in regard to the greater part; for persecution is a true touchstoneby which God ascertains who are His. And few are so faithful as to beprepared to meet death boldly. It is a kind of monstrous thing, that persons who make a boast of havinga little of the gospel, can venture to open their lips to give utteranceto such quibbling. Some will say, What do we gain by confessing ourfaith to obstinate people who have deliberately resolved to fightagainst God? Is not this to cast pearls before swine? As if Jesus Christhad not distinctly declared (Matt viii. , 38) that He wishes to beconfest among the perverse and malignant. If they are not instructedthereby, they will at all events remain confounded; and hence confessionis an odor of a sweet smell before God, even tho it be deadly to thereprobate. There are some who say, What will our death profit? Will itnot rather prove an offense? As if God hath left them the choice ofdying when they should see it good and find the occasion opportune. Onthe contrary, we approve our obedience by leaving in His hand the profitwhich is to accrue from our death. In the first place, then, the Christian man, wherever he may be, mustresolve, notwithstanding dangers or threatings, to walk in simplicity asGod has commanded. Let him guard as much as he can against the raveningof the wolves, but let it not be with carnal craftiness. Above all, lethim place his life in the hands of God. Has he done so? Then if he happens to fall into the hands of the enemy, let him thinkthat God, having so arranged, is pleased to have him for one of thewitnesses of His Son, and therefore that he has no means of drawing backwithout breaking faith with Him to whom we have promised all duty inlife and in death--Him whose we are and to whom we belong, even thoughwe should have made no promise. In saying this I do not lay all under the necessity of making a full andentire confession of everything which they believe, even should they berequired to do so. I am aware also of the measure observed by St. Paul, altho no man was ever more determined boldly to maintain the cause ofthe gospel as he ought. And hence it is not without cause our Lordpromises to give us, on such an occasion, "a mouth and wisdom" (Lukexxi. , 15); as if he had said, that the office of the Holy Spirit is notonly to strengthen us to be bold and valiant, but also to give usprudence and discretion, to guide us in the course which it will beexpedient to take. The substance of the whole is, that those who are in such distress areto ask and obtain such prudence from above, not following their owncarnal wisdom, in searching out for a kind of loop-hole by which toescape. There are some who tell us that our Lord Himself gave no answerto those who interrogated Him. But I rejoin, First, That this does notabolish the rule which He has given us to make confession of our faithwhen so required. (I Peter iii. , 15. ) Secondly, That He never used anydisguise to save His life: and, Thirdly, That He never gave an answer soambiguous as not to embody a sufficient testimony to all that He had tosay; and that, moreover, He had already satisfied those who came tointerrogate Him anew, with the view not obtaining information, butmerely of laying traps to ensnare Him. Let it be held, then, as a fixed point among all Christians, that theyought not to hold their life more precious than the testimony to thetruth, inasmuch as God wishes to be glorified thereby. Is it in vainthat He gives the name of witnesses (for this is the meaning of the wordmartyr) to all who have to answer before the enemies of the faith? Is itnot because He wished to employ them for such a purpose? Here every oneis not to look for his fellow, for God does not honor all alike with thecall. And as we are inclined so to look, we must be the more on ourguard against it. Peter having heard from the lips of our Lord Jesus(John xxi. , 18) that he should be led in his old age where he would not, asked, What was to become of his companion John? There is not one amongus who would not readily have put the same question; for the thoughtwhich instantly rises in our mind is, Why do I suffer rather thanothers? On the contrary, Jesus Christ exhorts all of us in common, andeach of us in particular, to hold ourselves "ready, " in order thataccording as He shall call this one or that one, we may march forth inour turn. I explained above how little prepared we shall be to suffer martyrdom, if we be not armed with the divine promises. It now remains to showsomewhat more fully what the purport and aim of these promises are--notto specify them all in detail, but to show the principal things whichGod wishes us to hope from Him, to console us in our afflictions. Nowthese things, taken summarily, are three. The first is, that inasmuch asour life and death are in His hand, He will preserve us by His mightthat not a hair will be plucked out of our heads without His leave. Believers, therefore, ought to feel assured into whatever hands they mayfall, that God is not divested of the guardianship which He exercisesover their persons. Were such a persuasion well imprinted on our hearts, we should be delivered from the greater part of the doubts andperplexities which torment us and obstruct us in our duty. We see tyrants let loose: thereupon it seems to us that God no longerpossesses any means of saving us, and we are tempted to provide for ourown affairs as if nothing more were to be expected from Him. On thecontrary, His providence, as He unfolds it, ought to be regarded by usas an impregnable fortress. Let us labor, then, to learn the full importof the expression, that our bodies are in the hands of Him who createdthem. For this reason He has sometimes delivered His people in amiraculous manner, and beyond all human expectation, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, from the fiery furnace, Daniel from the den oflions; Peter from Herod's prison, where he was locked, chained, andguarded so closely. By these examples He meant to testify that He holdsour enemies in check, altho it may not seem so, and has power towithdraw us from the midst of death when He pleases. Not that He alwaysdoes it; but in reserving authority to Himself to dispose of us for lifeand for death, He would have us to feel fully assured that He has usunder His charge; so that whatever tyrants attempt, and with whateverfury they may rush against us, it belongs to Him alone to order ourlife. If He permits tyrants to slay us, it is not because our life is not dearto Him, and held in a hundred times greater honor than it deserves. Suchbeing the case, having declared by the mouth of David (Psalm cxvi. , 13), that the death of the saints is precious in His sight, He says also bythe mouth of Isaiah (xxvi. , 21), that the earth will discover the bloodwhich seems to be concealed. Let the enemies of the gospel, then, be asprodigal as they will of the blood of martyrs, they shall have torender a fearful account of it even to its last drop. In the presentday, they indulge in proud derision while consigning believers to theflames; and after having bathed in their blood, they are intoxicated byit to such a degree as to count all the murders which they commit merefestive sport. But if we have patience to wait, God will show in the endthat it is not in vain He has taxed our life at so high a value. Meanwhile, let it not offend us that it seems to confirm the gospel, which in worth surpasses heaven and earth. To be better assured that God does not leave us as it were forsaken inthe hands of tyrants, let us remember the declarations of Jesus Christ, when He says (Acts ix. , 4) that He Himself is persecuted in His members. God had indeed said before, (Zech. Ii. , 8), "He who touches you touchesthe apple of mine eye. " But here it is said much more expressly, that ifwe suffer for the gospel, it is as much as if the Son of God weresuffering in person. Let us know, therefore, that Jesus Christ mustforget Himself before He can cease to think of us when we are in prison, or in danger of death for His cause; and let us know that God will taketo heart all the outrages which tyrants commit upon us, just as if theywere committed on His own Son. Let us now come to the second point which God declares to us in Hispromise for our consolation. It is, that He will so sustain us by theenergy of His Spirit that our enemies, do what they may, even with Satanat their head, will gain no advantage over us. And we see how Hedisplays His gifts in such an emergency; for the invincible constancywhich appears in the martyrs abundantly and beautifully demonstratesthat God works in them mightily. In persecution there are two thingsgrievous to the flesh, the vituperation and insult of men, and thetortures which the body suffers. Now, God promises to hold out His handto us so effectually, that we shall overcome both by patience. What Hethus tells us He confirms by fact. Let us take this buckler, then, toward off all fears by which we are assailed, and let us not confine theworking of the Holy Spirit within such narrow limits as to suppose thatHe will not easily defeat all the cruelties of men. Of this we have had, among other examples, one which is particularlymemorable. A young man who once lived with us here, having beenapprehended in the town of Tournay, was condemned to have his head cutoff if he recanted, and to be burned alive if he continued steadfast tohis purpose. When asked what he meant to do, he replied simply, "He whowill give me grace to die patiently for His name, will surely give megrace to bear the fire. " We ought to take this expression not as that ofa mortal man, but as that of the Holy Spirit, to assure us that God isnot less powerful to strengthen us, and render us victorious overtortures, than to make us submit willingly to a milder death. Moreover, we oftentimes see what firmness he gives to unhappy malefactors whosuffer for their crimes. I speak not of the hardened, but of those whoderive consolation from the grace of Jesus Christ, and by His means, with a peaceful heart, undergo the most grievous punishment which can beinflicted. One beautiful instance is seen in the thief who was convertedat the death of our Lord. Will God, who thus powerfully assists poorcriminals when enduring the punishment of their misdeeds, be so wantingto His own people, while fighting for His cause, as not to give theminvincible courage? The third point for consideration in the promises which God gives Hismartyrs is, the fruit which they ought to hope for from theirsufferings, and in the end, if need be, from their death. Now, thisfruit is, that after having glorified His Name--after having edified theChurch by their constancy--they, will be gathered together with the LordJesus into His immortal glory. But as we have above spoken of this atsome length, it is enough here to recall it to remembrance. Letbelievers, then, learn to lift up their heads towards the crown of gloryand immortality to which God invites them, thus they may not feelreluctant to quit the present life for such a recompense; and, to feelwell assured of this inestimable blessing, let them have always beforetheir eyes the conformity which they thus have to our Lord Jesus Christ;beholding death in the midst of life, just as He, by the reproach of thecross, attained to the glorious resurrection, wherein consists all ourfelicity, joy, and triumph. END OF VOL. I.