XVI.
MEMORY OF THE SAINTS.
[A homily for any occasion.]
Ego sum alfa et co, initium et Jlnis, dicit dominus deus, qui est et qui erat et qui venturus est, omnipotens. That is in English; 'I am the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come. Almighty.'
There is One Almighty God in Three Persons, ever continuing,
Who created all things. Now we have [our] beginning through Him,
because He created us when we were not,
and afterward redeemed us when we were lost.
Now we have to take care, with great diligence,
that our life shall be so ordered,
that our end may end in God,
from Whom came to us our beginning.
We may take good examples,
first, from the holy patriarchs,
how they in their lives pleased God,
and also from the Saints who followed the Saviour.
First Abel, Adam's son, was so pleasing to God,
through innocence and righteousness, that Christ Himself
called Abel Justus, that is, the righteous Abel.
Again Enoch, the seventh man from Adam,
was so devout in his mind and so well -pleasing to God,
that God took him, sound in soul and body,
without death, up to heaven, when he was three hundred
and sixty-five years of age; and he so continueth, sound,
without death, and without toil, until Antichrist's coming.
Noah also, for his righteousness, overcame the great flood,
which went over the whole earth, so that through him
all mankind was again restored.
Abraham, for his great faith in God,
and for his obedience, received such a blessing from God,
that all mankind which believeth in God is blessed in his seed,
and his son Isaac after him lived with blessing,
and God loved him. Again Jacob, Isaac's son,
for his labour was verily blessed,
first by his father, and afterward by God's angel,
and God gave him that second name, of Israel,
that is, 'Vir videns deum,' (that is in English speech) 'The man who seeth God,'
and by that name those were signified,
who now in Christendom see God by faith.
Job the blessed, and God's constant servant,
was so perfected in all goodness, that God Himself said of him,
that his like was not then living upon earth;
Then the devil asked of God that he might prove him,
whether he would continue in his goodness
and in his innocence unto his life's end,
or whether he would turn from God through the exceeding persecution
which the envious devil sent him.
Thereupon the devil in one day slew all his cattle,
and his seven sons, and three daughters, and likewise afterward
afflicted himself with an awful sickness;
but the constant Job would never swerve from God's love,
neither for persecution, nor for sickness, nor for the loss of his bairns,
neither spake he one foolish word against God,
but with great patience he ever thanked God
and from his inward heart ever praised his Lord.
Then God healed him of that awful affliction,
and repaid him all his possessions by twofold,
and he then lived happily, because he had overcome the devil.
David for his meekness and mildheartedness
was pleasing to God, and was chosen king,
so that God Himself spake thus concerning him,
I have found Me David, Jesse's son, after mine heart,
who shall perform my will by his works.
Again Elias, the noble prophet, because he combated against unrighteousness,
was taken up to Heaven in a heavenly chariot,
and there, like Enoch, dwelleth securely;
because no ghostly offering is so pleasing to God,
as [that] is to Him, that a man alway strive against unrighteousness,
for men's correction, yet nevertheless with meekness,
and with sobriety, and mildheartedness,
that one may put down wrong, and raise up God's right,
even as the prophet Elias strove against unrighteousness
until that God took him in a fiery chariot to heaven
from all the persecutions of this billowy world.
Likewise the three youths in the Chaldean land,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who for the true faith
were bound in the burning oven,
and condemned to death, but God quickly showed forth in them
what faith they had, when the flame could not
burn even their hair in that pyre;
but they all went out, uninjured, to the king.
Likewise again Daniel, the noble prophet,
for his simplicity and constant faith,
was twice thrown by the furious Chaldeans
into the lions' pit, but they lived in hunger
seven nights meatless, and might not hurt him.
Many other patriarchs and holy prophets
were glorious men, and performed miracles
under the Old Law, and they all set forth
by words, or by works, that the glorious Saviour
would redeem us from hell-torment by Himself.
Again, books tell us how the sinful have perished,
and [how] the wicked are lost eternally for their evilness,
because God is so righteous that righteous men
shall not be bereaved of the reward of their righteousness.
Nor again, may the wicked, who anger Him by their evilness,
ever in any wise escape from the eternal torments.
Afterward, at the Saviour's advent, was the holy John
sent before Him as a heavenly herald,
that he by his words might make straight Christ's ways,
and convert the people to right works.
Prophecy, and the Old Law, continued until that time,
and John established the ascetic life
in the New Testament, as Christ instructed him,
and he belonged both to the Law and to the Gospel,
like a landmark between Moses and us,
so constant a man of God, that God Himself said of him,
that no greater man was there upon earth,
born of man and of woman; thus God honoured him.
Behold then, our Saviour, the Son of the heavenly God,
showed forth His great love which He had to us men,
so that He was born of a pure virgin,
without man's commerce, and was manifested as Man,
in soul and in body, Very God and Very Man,
to the end that He might redeem those of us who believe in Him
from the eternal death, by His guiltless death.
Thereby we may perceive Christ's humility,
in that the high God so humbled Himself,
that He stooped to that death, and overcame the devil
by that incarnation, and so redeemed mankind;
He is over all things. Almighty Creator,
and He would nevertheless suffer punishment for us.
Now is His humility incomparable with ours,
because we are sinful, and ought to be humble,
will we, nill we; and He would of His own will
give us the example, even as He Himself said,
'Discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde, et invenietis requiem animahus vestris;' [that is in English:]
' Learn of Me, for I am meek
and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest
unto your souls; ' thus said the Lord.
He did not bid us learn to make the heavens [do great things],
but He bade us be humble, that we might get to heaven,
because the proud can never get to heaven.
Christ cried in His preaching, and said to all men,
'Penitentiam agite, adpropinquabit enim regnum caelorum'; that is in English,
'Work deeds of penance for your misdeeds,
for behold the kingdom of Heaven draweth near.'
Christ then went about throughout all the Jewish cities,
preaching the Gospel, and enlightened the blind,
and healed all sicknesses and all diseases.
His fame spread then to the land of Syria,
and they brought the sick from far and near,
diversely afflicted, and lunatics, and men possessed,
and likewise the bedridden, and brought [them] to the Saviour,
and He healed them all, for that He is the Healer.
These same powers He gave to His great apostles,
that they might heal, in the name of Jesus,
all sicknesses, and also raise the dead,
and cleanse the lepers, even as Christ Himself did.
There were twelve apostles who abode with him,
and two and seventy He chose Him as preachers,
who went, by two and two, before Him everywhere.
These four and eighty who followed the Saviour,
are the foundations in God's Church,
and the foremost preachers, and they wrote our books,
even as they had learned from their master Christ,
and their lore came to the uttermost lands.
Then it befell one day as the Saviour journeyed,
that a certain man said to Him, ' I will go with Thee,
and follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.'
Then said the Saviour to him, ' Foxes have holes,
and birds have nests, and I have no dwelling,
where I may recline my head.'
Christ looked into his heart, and saw his craftiness, io
because he sought not the Saviour with sincerity,
but foxlike wiles were dwelling in him,
and haughtiness, like unto soaring birds;
for such a man might not journey with Christ.
Christ again after that said to another,
'Follow me in my way;' and he, affrighted, answered,
'Let me first, Lord, go quickly,
and bury my father.' Then said Christ again to that man,
'Suffer that the dead bury their dead,
but go thou thyself indeed, and preach God's kingdom/
Those are verily dead who serve not their Creator,
and who keep not God's commandments devoutly;
these may bury such-like others,
and yield to sins by means of flatteries.
Then again a third man said thus to Christ;
'I will follow Thee, master, but let me first go
and tell my family how I have purposed (to do).'
Him the Saviour answered thus, ' If the husbandman look
oftentimes backward, he will be no fitting tiller;'
that is in this sense ; as the husbandman marreth his furrow
if he looketh too long backward,
so likewise he who desireth to turn to God,
and inclineth again to worldly things, will not be acceptable to God.
Manifold were the Saviour's miracles,
and His holy doctrines, as we learn in books,
and all his followers forsook all things,
both wives and possessions, and lived in chastity,
for His fair promises, and for the kingdom of heaven.
Again, after His resurrection and ascension into Heaven,
when the faith was increasing, and men laid aside devil-worship,
then were the holy martyrs so greatly inspired
that they chose rather to die than to deny God,
and laid down their lives rather than their faith,
and were slain for the true faith,
many thousand martyrs by various tortures,
and they have the eternal mirth in return for their martyrdom.
The wicked devil, who is ever (employed) about evil,
stirred up persecution by impious murderers,
and desired by slaughter to overcome the Christians,
and put down God's faith, if so he might,
but the more men slew, the more believed,
through the mighty wonders which the martyrs wrought.
Afterward, when God gave peace to His church,
then desired the devil to mar the true faith by heresy,
and sowed heresy in presumptuous men.
One of those was Arius, who began that evil,
but his bowels gushed out at the draught.
Many there were beside who diversely erred,
until the holy Fathers quenched their evil,
and formulated the true faith by God's help,
even as the Saviour taught it to His holy apostles.
Then were there holy bishops, frugal in their manners,
and wise mass-priests who lived in chastity,
and many monks of excellent conduct,
and pure maidens who served Christ
in spiritual service, for their Lord's love;
and these all now, for their purity, are dwelling
with Christ in everlasting glory.
Now in our days, in the end of this world,
the devil secretly layeth snares about us,
how he by vices may seduce Christians,
and turn their minds to divers sins ;
but those are happy who discern his snares,
and by faith overcome his cunning deceits.
Now he rageth furiously, and warreth on Christians,
because he knoweth well that this world's ending
is very nigh at hand, and therefore he maketh haste.
We should likewise hasten, and help our souls
by good services to the pleasing of God,
because we may not exist long in this life;
and that is [by] God's mercy, although it be secret.
In the beginning of this world, when it was winsome,
and men might live therein according to their desires,
then life was prolonged so that men lived
some nine hundred years in the patriarchs' times,
some eight hundred years, and some even longer.
Now is our life unlike to theirs,
because we may not now live after our lusts,
but we have to obey our Saviour's commands,
and earn by labour the everlasting life;
and that labour began in the preaching of the Gospel.
Now hath God also greatly shortened our days,
even as He so said; ' Ye shall not labour too long,
but be ye steadfast unto the eternal life,
where ye shall live happy without labour.'
Now there are three Chief Virtues, which men must have,
Fides, Spes, Caritas, that is, Faith, and Hope, and true Charity.
This is Faith, that a man believe with his mind
in the Holy Trinity and Very Unity;
and this is Hope, that he hope in God,
both in good and in evil fortune,
and never despair of God's clemency;
This is true Love, that a man love his Creator
with unmeasured love, and those persons who wish [him] well,
even as [he loves] himself, in sincerity for ever.
For God's love we ought also to love our enemies,
so that we love the man, and hate his misdeeds.
It is for us to understand these ordinances;
Christ said in His Gospel, that we must love God
with all our hearts, above all things;
and afterward our neighbour even as ourselves;
and likewise He commanded us to love our enemies,
but He added not thereto 'with all the heart,'
nor even 'as ourselves,' because it verily sufficeth for them,
that we love them and have no hatred towards them,
though we love them not with all the heart, nor love them as ourselves.
How there are eight Chief Sins, which sorely fight against us:
one is called Gula, that is. Gluttony in puglish,
which maketh a man eat and drink before the time,
or again to take too much in food or in drink.
This destroyeth both soul and body,
because it bringeth upon the man much sickness,
and bringeth him to death through immoderate drinking;
it destroyeth also the soul, because he will often sin,
when he himself knoweth not how he behaveth, by reason of his fiendlike drink.
The second sin is Adultery and unbridled lust;
it is called Fornicatio, and it defileth the man,
and maketh of Christ's members the members of harlots,
and of God's temple the dwelling of raging passions.
The third sin is Avaritia, that is, evil Covetousness,
and it is the root of all wickedness;
it causeth rapine, and unrighteous judgements,
thefts, and leasings, and perjuries.
It is like unto hell, because they both have
insatiable greediness, so that they can never be full.
The fourth sin is Ira, that is in English, Anger;
it causeth that a man have no power over his mind,
and bringeth about manslaughters and many evils.
The fifth is Tristitia, that is this world's Sorrow;
this is when a man sorroweth all too sorely
for the loss of his goods, which he loved too much,
and then chideth with God, and addeth to his sins.
Two sorrows are there; one is this evil [Sorrow],
and the other is salutary, which is that a man sorrow for his sins.
The sixth sin is called Accidia,
that is, in English, Idleness or Sloth,
when a man careth not to do any good in his life,
and a great evil is then his, that he can never do any good,
and is ever unready for any virtue.
The seventh sin is called Jactantia,
that is in English speech. Vain Boasting,
that is, when the man is vain-glorious, and hypocritically goeth
and doeth it for ostentation, if he will give any dole,
and then is fame the reward of his deeds,
and his punishment awaiteth him in the future world.
The eighth sin is called Superbia,
that is called Pride, in English,
which is the beginning and end of every sin;
it made angels into horrible devils,
and will make the man also, if he prideth himself too much,
the companion of the devil, who first fell thereby.
Now there are eight Chief Virtues, which may overcome
these aforesaid devils, through the Lord's assistance.
One is Te.m'perantia, that is in English, Moderation,
this is, that a man be moderate, and do not take too much
either in food or drink, neither take his meals before the time.
Beasts eat as soon as they have it,
but the discreet man ought to keep to his mealtime,
and then, also with discretion, observe his regular custom;
thus may he then overcome Gluttony.
The second virtue is Castitas, that is in English, Purity,
which is, that a layman keep himself without adultery,
in lawful wedlock with discretion,
and the consecrated servant of God keep his virginity;
thus will Adultery be also overcome.
The third virtue is Largitas, that is in English, Liberality,
which is, that a man spend his possessions wisely, not for worldly ostentation,
the things which God lent him to enjoy in this life.
God willeth not that we should be greedy misers,
neither throw away our goods in worldly ostentation.
but deal them with discretion, even as it may please to the Lord;
and if we do almsdeeds, do them without boasting;
thus may we destroy the fiendlike Coveteousuess.
The fourth virtue is Patientia, that is called Patience and Forbearance,
which is, that a man be patient and forbearing for [the love of] God,
and ever let his reason be more powerful than his anger;
because the Saviour saith thus in His gospel,
In 'patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras; '
that is in the English speech, ' In your patience
ye shall verily have your souls in keeping.'
The Heavenly Wisdom saith, that Anger dwelleth
in the bosom of a fool, that is, when he is too hasty;
for the All-ruling Judge judgeth ever with mildness,
and we ought by patience to overcome Anger.
The fifth virtue is Spiritualis laetitla,
that is. Spiritual Joy, which is, that a man rejoice in God
amidst the sorrows of this hard world,
so that we may not be despairing in misfortunes,
nor again rejoice overmuch in prosperity;
and if we lose the transitory things of this world,
then should we know that our dwelling is not here,
but is in heaven, if we hope in God.
Thither we should hasten from this distress
with Spiritual Joy; thus shall the Sorrow be
utterly overcome by our patience.
The sixth virtue is Instantia boni operis,
that is, Perseverance in a good work.
If we be persevering in our good works,
then may we thus overcome idleness,
because it is a prolonged disgrace, if our life be useless here.
The seventh Virtue is true Love to God,
that we in good works seek after God's love;
not Vainglory, which is hateful to Him,
but let us do alms, even as He taught us,
for the praise of God, not for our own glory,
that God may be magnified in our good works,
and Vainglory may ever be worthless to us.
The eighth Virtue is true Humility,
both towards God and towards man with simplicity of mind;
for he who is wise will never be proud.
Wherein may a man pride himself, though he wish it?
He may not in his rank, because many are more distinguished [than he];
nor may he in his possessions, because he knoweth not his last day;
nor in anything can he pride himself, if he be wise.
Now ye have heard how these holy Virtues
overcome those Sins which the devil soweth in us;
and if we will not overcome them, they will sink us to hell.
We can, by God's assistance, conquer those fiendish sins
by fighting, if we fight bravely;
and have for ourselves, at the end, the eternal glory
ever with God Himself, if we now labour here,
unto His glory who eternally reigneth, the Everlasting Lord;
to whom be glory and praise, who ever liveth,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost in eternity. Amen.