because God only saw this in his heart, not the mortal men to whom he spake, he saith to them, " But to me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or at man's bar."^ And the same apostle shows also in a certain place, that these things are oft done of empty vainglory, not upon the solid ground of love: for speaking of the praises of charity he saith, " If I distribute all my goods to the poor, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."^ Is it possible for a man to do this without charity? It is. For they that have divided unity, are persons that have not charity. Seek there, and ye shall see many giving much to the poor; shall' see others prepared to welcome death, insomuch that where there is no persecutor they cast themselves headlong: these doubtless without charity do this. Let us come back then to conscience, of which the apostle saith: " For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience." '* Let us come back to conscience.
of which the same saith, "But let each prove his own work, and then he shall have glorying in himself and not in another." ^ Therefore, let each one of us " prove his own work," whether it flow forth from the vein of charity, whether it be from charity as the root that his good works sprout forth as branches. " But let each prove his own work, and then he shall have glorying in himself and not in another," not when another's tongue bears witness to him, but when his own conscience bears it.
3. This it is then that he enforces here. " In this we know that we are of the truth, when in deed and in truth" we love, "not only in words and in tongue: and * assure our heart before Him."'' What meaneth, "before Him? " Where He seeth. Whence the Lord Himself in the Gospel saith: "Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward with your Father which is in heaven."^ And what meaneth, "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:" except that the right hand means a pure conscience, the left hand the lust of the world?9 Many through lust of the world do many wonderful things: the left hand worketh, not -the right. The right hand ought to work, and without knowledge of the left hand, so that lust of the world may not even mix itself therewith when by love we work aught that is good. And where do we get to know this? Thou art before God: question thine heart, see what thou hast done, and what therein was thine aim; thy salvation, or the windy praise of men. Look within, for man cannot judge whom he cannot see. If "we assure our heart," let it be " before Him." Because " if our heart think ill of us," i.e. accuse us within, that we do not the thing with that mind it ouglit to be done withal, "greater is God than our heart, and knoweth all things. " Thou hidest thine heart from man: hide it from God if thou canst! How shalt thou hide it from Him, to whom it is said by a sinner, fearing and confessing, "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? and from Thy face whither shall I flee?"'° He sought a way to flee, to escape the judgment of God, and found none. For where is God not? "If I shall ascend," saith he, "into heaven. Thou art there: if I shall descend 8 Matt. vi. 1-3. Infra, Horn. viii. 19, Serm. c.xlix. 10-13.
9 Comp. df Sl'7-7ii. Dotii. in Monte, li. 6-q, where having discussed and rejected several other explanations, St. Augustin rests in the interpretation, that " the left hand " denotes the carnal will looking aside to earthly rewards and the praise of men: "the right hand," the singleness of heart which looks straight forward to'the will and confimandment of God. Serra. cxlix. 15; Enarr. in Psa. 65, sec. 2.
Homily VI.]
into hell, Thou arc there." Whither wilt thou 2:0? whither wilt thou flee? Wilt thou hear counsel? If thou wouldest flee from Him, flee to Him. Flee to Him by confessing, not from Him by hiding: hide thou canst not, but confess thou canst. Say unto Him, "Thou art my place to flee unto;"' and let love be nourished in thee, which alone leadeth unto life. Let thy conscience bear thee witness that thy love is of God. If it be of God, do not wish to display it before men; because neither men's praises lift thee unto heaven, nor their censures put thee down from thence. Let Him see, who crowneth thee: be He thy witness, by whom as judge thou art crowned. " Greater is God than our heart, and knoweth all things."
4. " Beloved, if our heart think not ill of us, we have confidence towards God:"^ — What meanethj " If our heart think not ill "? If it make true answer to us, that we love and that there is^ genuine love in us: not feigned but sincere; seeking a brother's salvation, expecting no emolument from a brother, but only his salvation — "we have confidence toward God: and whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him, because we keep His commandments." ■* — Therefore, not in the sight of men, but where God Himself seeth, in the heart — " we have confidence," then, " towards God: and whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him: " howbeit, because we keep His commandments. What are " His commandments"? Must we be always repeating? "A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another." ^ It is charity itself that he speaks of, it is this that he enforces. Whoso then shall have brotherly charity, and have it before God, where God seeth, and his heart being interrogated under righteous examination make him none other answer than that the genuine root of charity is there for good fruits to come from; that man hath confidence with God, and whatsoever he shall ask, he shall receive of Him, because he keepeth His commandments.
5. Here a question meets us: for it is not this or that man, or thou or I that come in question, — for if I have asked any thing of God and receive it not, any person may easily say of me, " He hath not charity: " and of any man soever of this present time, this may easily be said; and let any think what he will, a man of man: — not we, but those come more in question, those men of whom it is on all hands known that they were saints when they wrote^ and that they are now with God. Where is the man that hath charity, if Paul ■ Ps. xxxii. 7.
3 Cermaiia, had it not, who said, "Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians, our heart is enlarged; ye are not straitened in us: " * who said," I will myself be spent for your souls: " and so great grace was in him, that it was manifested that he had charity. And yet we find that he asked and did not receive. What say we, brethren? It is a question: look attentively to God: it is a great question, this also. Just as, where it was said of sin, " He that is born of God sinneth not:" we found this sin to te the violating of charity, and that this was the thing strictly intended in that place: so too we ask now what it is that he would say. For if thou look but to the words, it seems plain: if thou take the examples into the account, it is obscure. Than the words here nothing can be plainer. "And whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." "Whatsoever we ask," saith he, " we shall receive of Him." He hath put us sorely to straits. In the other place also he would put us to straits, if he meant all sin: but then we found room to expound it in this, that he meant it of a certain sin, not of all sin; howbeit of a sin which "whosoever is born of God committeth not: " and we found that this same sin is none other than the violation of charity. We have also a manifest example from the Gospel, when the Lord saith, "If I had not come, they had not had sin." 7 How? ^Vere the Jews innocent when He came to them, because He so speaks? Then if He had not come, would they have had no sin? Then did the Physician's presence make one sick, not take away the fever? What madman even would say this? He came not but to cure and heal the sick. Therefore when He said, " If I had not come, they had not had sin," what would He have to be understood, but a certain sin in particular? For there was a sin which the Jews would not have had. What sin? That they believed not on Him, that when he had come they despised Him. As then He tiiere said " sin," and it docs not follow that we are to understand all sin, but a certain sin: so here also not all sin, lest it be contrary to that place where he saith, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, antl the truth is not in us:"* but a certain sin in particular, that is, the violation of charity. But in this place he hath bound us more tightly: " If we shall ask," he hath saiti, " if our heart accuse us not, and tell us in answer, in the sight of God, that true love is in us; " " \\'hatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Miin."
[Homily VI.
6. Well now: I have already told you, my beloved brethren, let no man turn toward us. For what are we? or what are ye? What, but the Church of God which is known to all? And, if it please Him, in that Church are we; and those of us who by love abide in it, there let us persevere, if we would show the love we have. But then the apostle Paul, what evil are we to thinlc of him? He not love the brethren! Fie not have within himself the testimony of his conscience in the sight of God 1 Paul not have within him that root of charity whence all good fruits proceeded! What madman would say this? Well then: where find we that the apostle asked and did not receive? He saith himself: "Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to buffet me. For which thing I besought the Lord thrice, that He would take it from me. And He said unto me. My grace is sufficient for thee: for strength is made perfect in weakness." ' Lo, he was not heard in his prayer that the "angel of Satan" should be taken from him. But wherefore? Because it was not good for him. He was heard, then, for salvation, when he was not heard according to his wish. Know, my beloved, a great- mystery: which we urge upon your consideration on purpose that it may not slip from )'ou in your temptations. The saints are in all things heard unto salvation: they are always heard in that which respects their eternal salvation; it is this that they desire: because in regard of this, their prayers are always heard.
7. But let us distinguish God's different ways of hearing prayer. For we find some not heard for their wish, heard for salvation: and again some we find heard for their wish, not heard for salvation. Mark this difference, hold fast this example of a man not heard for his wish but heard for salvation. Hear the apostle Paul; for what is the hearing of prayer unto salvation, God Himself showed him: " Sufficient for thee," saith He, "is my grace; for strength is perfected in weakness. '' Thou hast besought, hast cried, hast thrice cried: the very cry thou didst raise once for all I heard, I turned not away mine ears from thee; I know what I should do: thou wouldest have it taken away, the healing thing by which thou art burned; I know the infirmity by which thou art burdened. Well then: here is a man who was heard for salvation, while as to his will he was not heard. Where find we persons heard for their will, not heard for salvation? Do we find, think we, some wicked, some impious man, heard of God for his will, not heard for salvation? If I put to you the instance of some man, perchance thou wilt say to me, " It is thou that callegt him wicked, for he was righteous; had he not been righteous, his prayer would not have been heard by God." The instance I am about to allege is of one, of whose iniquity and impiety none can doubt. The devil himself: he asked for Job, and received. ^ Have ye not here also heard concerning the devil, that " he that committeth sin is of the devil''?■* Not that the devil created, but that the sinner imitates. Is it not said of him, " He stood not in the truth "?5 Is not even he " that old serpent," who, through the woman pledged the first man in the drink of poison?* Who even in the case of Job, kept for him his wife, that by her the husband might be, not comforted, but tempted? The devil asked for a holy man, to tempt him; and he received: the apostle asked that the thorn in the flesh might be taken from him, and he leceived not. But the apostle was more heard than the devil. For the apostle was heard for salvation, though not for his wish: the devil was heard for his wish, but for damnation. For that Job was yielded up to him to be tempted, was in order that by his standing the proof the devil should be tormented. But this, my brethren, we find not only in the Old Testament books, but also in the Gospel. The demons besought the Lord, when He expelled them from the man, that they might be permitted to go into the swine. Should the Lord not have power to tell them not to approach even those creatures? For, had it not been His will to permit this, they were not about to rebel against the King of heaven and earth. But with a view to a certain mystery, with a certain 7 ulterior meaning. He let the demons go into the swine: to show that the devil hath dominion in them that lead the life of swine.^ Demons then were heard in their request; was the apostle not heard? Or rather (what is truer) shall we say, The apostle was heard, the demons not heard? Their will was effected; his weal was perfected.
8. Agreeably with this, we ought to understand that God, though He give not to our will, doth give for our salvation. For sup- I 2 Cor. xii. 7-9.
2 Sacramentum.
6 Gen. iii. 1-6. ^ Certa dispensatione.
8 Luke viii. 32. Dimzsit, not viisit: so, Ejcpulsa ct in parens pertnissa dietnonia: " the demons cast out from the man and allowed to go into the swine." QuiFsi. Evan,e:. ii. 13. Quod in po)-cos in montibus pascentes ire pcrmissa sunt^ &c. " That they were allowed to go into the swine feeding upon the mountains, betokens unclean and proud men over whom through the worshipof idols the demons have dominion."
Homily VI.]
pose the thing thou have asked be to thine hurt, and the Physician knows that it is to thine hurt; what then? It is not to be said that the physician does not give ear to thee, when, perhaps, thou askest for cold water, and if it is good for thee, he gives it immediately, if not good, he gives it not. Had he no ears for thy request, or rather, did he give ear for thy weal, even when he gainsaid thy will? Then let there be in you charity, my brethren; let it be in you, and then set your minds at rest: even when the thing ye ask for is not given you, your prayer is granted, only, ye know it not. Many have been given into their own hands, to their own hurt: of whom the apostle saith, " God gave them up to their own hearts' lusts.'' ' Some man hath asked for a great sum of money; he hath received, to his hurt. When he had it not, he had little to fear; no sooner did he come to have it, than he became a prey to the more powerful. Was not that man's request granted to his own hurt, who would needs have that for which he should be sought after by the robber, whereas, being poor, none sought after him? Learn to beseech God that ye may commit it to the Physician to do what He knows best. Do thou confess the disease, let Him apply the means of healing. Do thou only hold fast charity. For He will needs cut, will needs burn; what if thou criest out, and art not spared for thy crying under the cutting, under the burning and the tribulation, yet He knows how far the rottenness reaches. -Thou wouldest have Him even now take off His hands, and He considers only the deepness of the sore; He knows how far to go. He does not attend to thee for thy will, but he does attend to thee for thy healing. Be ye sure, then, my brethren, that wliat the apostle saith is true: " For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered: for He maketii intercession for the saints."^ How is it said, " The Spirit itself intercedeth for the saints," l)ut as meaning the charity which is wrought in.thee by the Spirit? For therefore saith the same apostle: " The charity of God is shed abroad in our hearts by tlie Holy Spirit which is given unto us." •* It is charity that groans, it is charity that prays: against it He who gave it cannot shut His ears. Set your minds at restr let charity ask, and the ears of God are there. Not that which thou wishest is done, but that is done which is advantageous. "^Fherefore. " whatever we ask," saith he, "we shall receive of Him." I have already said. If thou understand it to mean, " for salvation," there is no question: if not for salvation, there is a question, and a great one, a question that makes thee an accuser of the apostle Paul. " Whatever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do these things that are pleasing in His sight: " within, where He seeth.
9. And what are those commandments? "This," saith he, "is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. "^ Ye see that this is the commandment: ye see that whoso doeth aught against this commandment, doeth the sin from whicli " every one that is born of God " is free. "As He gave us commandment: ' ' that we love one another. "And he that keepeth His commandment"*— ye see that none other thing is bidden us than that we love one another — "And he that keepeth His commandment shall abide ' in Him, and He in him. "And in this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us. Is it not manifest that this is what the Holy Ghost works in man, that there should be in him love and charity? Is it not manifest, as the Apostle Paul saith, that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us "?^ For [our apostle] was speaking of charity, and was saying that we ought in the sight of God to interrogate our own heart. " But if our heart think not ill of us: " i.e. if it confess that from the love of our brother is done in us whatever is done in any good work. And then besides, in speaking of the commandment, he says this: " This is His commandment. That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment." "And he tliat doeth His commandment abideth' in Him, and He in him. In this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us,""' If in truth thou find tliat thou hast charity, thou hast the Spirit of Ciod in order to understand: for a very necessary thing it is, 10. In the earliest times, "■ the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues," whicli they had not learned, " as the Spirit gave tiiem utterance." " Tiiese were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokeiung of the Holy Spirit in all tongues, to shew that the Gospel of God was to run through all tongues over " Acts ii. 4.
[Homily VI.
the whole earth. That thing was done for a betokening, and it passed away. In the laying on of hands now, that persons may receive the Holy Ghost, do we look that they should speak with tongues? Or when we laid the hand on these infants,' did each one of you look to see whether they would speak with tongues, and, when he saw that they did not speak with tongues, was any of you so wrong-minded as to say, These have not received the Holy Ghost; for, had they received, they would speak with tongues as was the case in those times? If then the witness of the presence of the Holy Ghost be not now given through these miracles, by what is it given, by what does one get to know that he has received the Holy Ghost? Let him question his own heart. If he love his brother, the Spirit of God dwelleth in him. Let him see, let him prove himself before the eyes of God, let him see whether there be in him the love of peace and unity, the love of the Church that is spread over the whole earth. Let him not rest only in his loving the brother whom he has before his eyes, for we have many brethren whom we do not see, and in the unity of the Spirit we are joined to them. What marvel that they are not with us? We are in one body, we have one Head, in heaven. Brethren, our two eyes do not see each other; as one may say, they do not know each other. But in the charity of the bodily frame do they not know each other? For, to shew you that in the charity which knits them together they do know each other; when both eyes are open, the right may not rest on some object, on which the left shall not rest likewise. Direct the glance of the right eye without the other, if thou canst. Together they meet in one object, together they are directed to one object: their aim is one, their places diverse. If then all who with thee love God have one aim with thee, heed not that in the body thou are separated in place; the eyesight of the heart ye have alike fixed on the light of truth. Then if thou wouldest know that thou hast received the Spirit, question thine heart: lest haply thou have the sacrament, and have not the virtue of the sacrament. Question thine heart. If love of thy brethren be there, set thy mind at rest. There cannot be love without the Spirit of God: since Paul cries, "The love of Gud is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us."''
Beloved, believe not every spirit. "^ II.
Because he had said, " In this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He I The neophytes.
2 Rom. V. 5.
3 I John iv. I, hath given us." But how this same Spirit is known, mark this: " Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they be from God." And who is he that proves the spirits? A hard matter has he put to us, my brethren! It is well for us that he should tell us himself how we are to discern them. He is about to tell us: fear not: but first see; mark: see that hereby is expressed the very thing that vain heretics'* taunt us withal. Mark, see what he says, '■ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they be from God." The Holy Spirit is spoken of in the Gospel by the name of water; where the Lord "cried and said, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." s But the evangelist has expounded of what He said this: for he goes on to say, " But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believed on Him should receive." Wherefore did not the Lord baptize many? But what saith he? " For the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." Then seeing those had baptism, and had not yet received the Holy Ghost, whom on the day of Pentecost the Lord sent from heaven, the glorifying of the Lord was first waited for, so that the Spirit might be given. Even before He was glorified, and before He sent the Spirit, He yet invited men to prepare themselves for the receiving of the water of which He said, " Whoso thirsteth, let him come and drink; " and, "He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. " What meaneth, "Rivers of living water"? What is that water? Let no man ask me; ask the Gospel. " But this, ' ' saith it, "He said of the Spirit, which they should receive that should believe on Him." Consequently, the water of the sacrament is one thmg: another, the water which betokens the Spirit of God. The water of the sacrament is visible: the water of the Spirit invisible. That washes the body, and betokens that which is done in the soul. By this Spirit the soul itself is cleansed and fed. This is the Spirit of God, which heretics and all that cut themselves off from the Church, cannot have. And whosoever do not openly cut themselves off, but by iniquity are cut off, and being within, whirl about as chaff and are not grain; these have not this Spirit. This Spirit is denoted by the Lord under the name of water: and we have heard from this epistle, " Believe not every spirit; " and those words of Solomon