or to labour; neither let one hinder another: or offend by a word or sign of levity. If there, leave given, it be permitted you at times to speak; let your discourse be of God and of devout matters from the holy scriptures: which may edify you in virtue, and comfort you in troubles. Thus did the holy fathers of old in Egypt: when they had come together for counsel and remedies unto the overcoming of temptations. But shun talking about the news of the world and the various con- ditions of men; nor rashly judge any secular: for God will judge all them that work iniquity. Let it be no interest to you then to think of temporal things, nor to converse about them: but only of spiritual progress in virtues, and the cures for your vices. Leave all exterior things and the business of the house to be ruled by God and arranged by your superiors: who will render an account in the judgement of the things committed to them. Be you contented and grateful for the service daily rendered you, satisfied with your wage in moderate food and clothing: seeking not fanciful things, nor superfluous, nor new, nor soft: but, as good simple sons of God living amid the brethren without complaint and dispute: out of humility think yourselves unworthy of all these blessings. Let your mind be fervent in desires of the heavenly kingdom: and in devout exercises let one strive to outstrip another; and take plea- sure in knowing and thinking of nothing but Christ and Him crucified: so that for love and compassion of the Crucified all things of the world and the flesh may be turned into disgust; and the toil of penance seem short and easy to you: and the discipline of the regular life be changed into sweetness and the joy of a good conscience every NOVICES REGULAR day. For then Christ shall be in the midst of you praying and discoursing together; teaching you to despise earthly things and to love the heavenly: and manfully struggle against the temptations of the devil, and curb the passions of the flesh. For wherefore have you come from the world; if not that your whole hope should be in God, and your heart above in heaven? Since therefore’you have chosen to renounce the world, and to serve Christ in the cloister: flee worldly men, forsake the friends of the flesh; for they may hinder you in your devotion, and by their speech draw you to hurtful desires: and bring no profit to your soul. The more seldom and the more briefly you speak to men: the safer is it for the guard of your heart and mouth, It is greatly to your honour and the good name of the Order, if out of respect for guests you appear modest and silent in their pre- sence: for you will edify more by your good con- duct: than by the polish of your speech. From one unguarded word they impute to you frivolity and indiscretion: and under the religious habit they conclude that a fox is hiding, and pretend- ing to be a sheep.
Let your words therefore be few, profitable and prudent: for an idle word will not pass unpunished with God. To guard against this, silence is to be loved and kept: and therefore was it wholesomely instituted in religion by the holy fathers of old, and by our recent superiors. In fine, in no state or Order will peace and discipline abide: if there be no strictness of silence, the friend of quiet: which is the food of devotion, the closing of contention, the flight of vanity. In silence you may learn: how and to whom you should speak. By idle words the soul becomes dissipated and instable: 29 SERMONS TO THE scarcely able to return to its interior after long mourning and tears. But from godly discourses spring love of God, edification of the neighbour: hatred of the world, desire for the kingdom of Heaven: sorrow for sin, the heat of charity, the bridling of cupidity: and the renewal of the whole inward man in the mirror of the most holy life of our Saviour. For He deigns to be present to those that speak of Him: He is nigh unto all that call upon Him. By holy discourse He arouses the slothful, strengthens the feeble; aids them that fight manfully, crowns the conquerors: terrifies by punishments, exhorts by good examples: com- forts by the promise of gifts, rejoices by grace freely bestowed in time: beatifies by the manifes- tation of the eternal glory of Heaven, as witnesses the psalmist: ‘I shall be satisfied,” he says, ““when Thy glory shall appear.” So loving and merciful is Jesus: so sweet and mild is Christ; that if any man prepare a place for Him in his heart, without doubt he will freely show him the light of His grace: and will sup with him. If one is alone and reads or prays: Jesus desires to make a second. If two together read or chant: Jesus wishes to be a third. Nor will be the supplication of these gathered in the name of Jesus, who in good faith humbly and devoutly pray, be void; if, however, in everything which they beseech or de- sire, they seek His good pleasure, and renounce their own will: saying that most acceptable word of Christ: “ Father, not my will: but Thine be ever done. Amen.”
30 NOVICES REGULAR SERMON V @d OF HAVING PATIENCE AMID THE SLOTHFUL AND PERVERSE Saag 4Y to the faint-hearted: “ Take courage, “yi and fear not.” Beloved brethren, be ‘ not disturbed if at times some failings, Re=aeet) which pain you, are found in religious: or it some depart from the congregation of the good: or if they live with them lukewarmly be- cause of the temptations of the devil: which they suffer daily in the service of God. For these sad assaults of human weakness also befell before our days; as we read of many holy and religious men: who are now honoured by many throughout the world. We are indeed frail, and prone to evil, therefore is it needful that our evil ways be straitened by statutes: and that like wild colts we be fastened to the stake of the holy cross for the Name of Jesus; lest, living according to our own desire, we turn aside from the righteous path of the saints: who entered the kingdom of Heaven by the narrow gate. Let us therefore mutually pray that God may aid and strengthen us in our every trial and temptation: and guard us from the assault and deceit of the enemy, who goes around everywhere seeking whom he may devour; and by what device he may draw a man from the midst of the congregation into the world: and from the world to hell. There there is no redemption, but everlasting horror dwelleth: there the souls seek death and find it not: there they are tor- mented day and night in fire and brimstone: be- cause here they refused todo a little penance: and spent their time so foolishly and fruitlessly.
31 Tsngh. 4s 31 Tsngh. 4s SERMONS TO THE Brethren, let us not seek the rest and ease of the flesh like men of the world; but toil and pain for our sins: let us resist vice by often fast- ing, praying, reading, meditating. Assuredly, we shall not have peace and quiet upon earth, wher- ever we may be, or wherever also we may go to seek comfort: or to ease our weariness, or to lessen the burden of our labour: unless we turn ourselves to Christ by prayer and sorrow for sins, with a firm purpose of always doing penance: so that by this light toil and short pain we may be able to escape the torment of everlasting fire. Our peace and the repose of a good life consist in much patience, according to the life of Christ and the examples of the saints; not in a long flight by waterless ways: nor in a vessel passing over the seas. Jonas the Prophet wished to flee from the face of the Lord: he went up into a ship, but it profited him nothing. He gave himself to sleep, he sought repose: but he did not find it. He thought that he was concealed, but God made manifest the hidden one: stirred up a storm, and moved the ocean. Then the sailors rouse up the sleeper, rebuke him and cast him into the water: who, immediately swallowed by a fish as a run- away and as disobedient, is imprisoned in the belly of a whale for his fault. Shut up therefore in this close prison, he cried and prayed to the Lord to be delivered from such great perils of the sea and from the confinement of the fish. At length, however, destitute of all human succour, he recog- nized in his affliction that it is impossible to escape the hand of God: and that to obey the divine commands is the most assured salvation of the soul. Let us therefore not flee from the toils and hardships that arise in religion for our salvation, 32 NOVICES REGULAR of which we knew not before: but let us stand firm, strive manfully, obey readily: pray frequently, toil diligently, keep silence willingly. Let us bear with ourselves patiently for Christ’s sake, as all the saints have done: who, having endured things more grievous, now rejoice in Heaven and say; “We have passed through fire and water: and Thou hast brought us out into an eternal refresh- ment.” We live amid many perils: and they, that tempt and trouble us, sleep not nor rest: but seek to ensnare us and to hinder us from the good we have commenced. Let us however not lose heart, nor cease to pray and to cry to Christ: even if we are often lukewarm and dry, and for distress of soul know not what we ought to do: for maybe God proves us in a few things: whether we really love Him not only in words but also in deeds and blows. Therefore when rough winds arise, let us not yield, but set our hands to the oars: let us seize our spiritual weapons, let us lift up our saddened soul, begin anew: and strive to struggle, much more strongly than we have done, against the flesh, against the world and against the devil. For the harder the fight: the more glorious the crown: and the more frequent the annoyance of the sufferer: the more praiseworthy the virtue of him that is patient. Agreat hindrance is coward- ice of heart, to lose confidence speedily in ad- versity: to neglect one’s holy purpose, to think of the life in the world: to dwell in fancy upon the presence of friends, to think of the agreeableness of comrades; all which things are emptiness and folly: as the swift end of all pleasure and honour shows. Our life, brethren, and religion under- taken for God consist in daily combat: namely, to struggle against bad habits, which everywhere and John, t5. 5.
SERMONS TO THE always, in the choir, in the dormitory, in silence, in labour pursue and tempt us: would that they never overcame us. Therefore it is not wonderful, if sometimes we slip and are wounded: if lightly we offend and are offended, in words, in deeds of our own and of others. We are men, not angels; mor- tals we are and frail sinners: exiles we are and pilgrims, not citizens of Heaven; inconstant and prone to vice: not yet perfect in grace, or blessed in glory. This thought ought to humble us, not lift up to pride of mind; but by our own weak- ness to lead us to trust in the divine mercy and loving-kindness: without which we are unable to commence or accomplish anything, witness our Lord, Who saith: “For without Me you can do nothing.” For our own weakness very greatly weighs us down: but the divine inspiration and heavenly visitation again raise up them that faint and strengthen unto well-doing: and He lovingly disposes for the profit of our salvation that we may be able to bear whatever unexpected things befall us: and with a just and secret judgement dispenses all things. For He has care of us all: from the beginning of life unto the end of death. For He who made us will not abandon us, if we do not forsake Him: but will make with tempta- tion issue that we may be able to resist and bear its onslaught. Let us say therefore to Him with the holy man in the psalm: when we are attacked by the wicked enemy: “ Be Thou my helper, Lord God: forsake me not.” And again with all confidence of mind let us cry to Christ in Heaven: ““My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare.” But peace and perfect repose are in Heaven, not on earth: for here all things are in movement and fear and 34 NOVICES REGULAR frequent distress, Therefore strong patience is supremely necessary for us in this fragile life: which is naught else but a daily struggle against vice, For whether a man be in his own house or in another, whether among acquaintance or familiar friends: something will speedily befall him which will displease him and disturb the tranquillity of the soul, secure nowhere. Let each then set him- self to patience as best he can: and patiently bear whatever God shall permit: and thus he shall have more ample peace. If he be injured and blamed by anyone: let him overcome his pride, and learn to suffer reproach: and he shall find great favour with God and never-ending glory. Let him grieve that he has sinned and not borne contempt of himself with sufficient patience: and let him humbly crave pardon for all his offences: and God will freely forgive him all.
Beloved brethren, lose not courage, nor add evils to evils: but at once when your conscience accuses you, hasten to the remedy of confession. God is the only one: Whom sin befalls not. For in His angels He found wickedness: and a great portion of them fell from Heaven by pride: be- cause they gave not glory to God for the gifts bestowed upon them. The first man in Paradise was tempted and deceived: and because of the sin of disobedience he was cast out of the place of pleasure into the wretchedness of this world. What wonder then if some weak brother, griev- ously tempted by the devil and the flesh, or rebuked by many for his failing sometimes errs, and sins, or becomes impatient: when man well established in Paradise fell, where he had so many helps and no hindrances? Many holy and just men in the Old Law were often tempted and persecuted by 35 SERMONS TO THE 35 SERMONS TO THE evil men: but they patiently bore with the wicked: and became better by means of their adversities. At times, however, by the will of God they resisted the wicked; and wrought a just vengeance upon the impious: lest the good weighed down in tribulation should be too much dejected. For some fellovercome by a sudden temptation: others stricken by a long illness, were humbled in their evil deeds: and those whom wealth and honours had uplifted: sorrow and shame brought back to a knowledge of their own weakness. Many alsoafter a grievous fall repenting quickly arose the stronger: and laudibly finished their life in holy ways.
In the days of Christ and His apostles the good were mingled with the bad, in the city, on the road: in the house, in the wilderness. Some be- lieved in Christ and praised His works: others contradicted Him, and complained of Him. Some also, misunderstanding His mystic words, laughed Him to scorn: and because He righteously re- proved their vices: they enviously calumniated His true and holy miracles. Even while Christ was discoursing and present there befell among the disciples some anger and quarrel as to which of them should be the greater and first in prelacy and in ruling of the nascent Church: which He gathered together from divers places and peoples and especially from the poor and simple: whom the loving and lowly Master by word and example recalled to the concord of peace by the way of humility with a gentle reproof, saying: “Unless you be converted and become as little children: you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” And again: “And he that will be first among you: shall be the servant of you all.” Behold, dearly be- loved, by these examples of humility and patience, 36 NOVICES REGULAR 36 NOVICES REGULAR what are the bases of all virtues; a simple and obedient brother can arrive at the kingdom of Heaven with a secure conscience without many arguments and subtle words: and escape the eternal torments of hell, by patiently bearing all wrongs whatever, unjustly wrought him by the perverse. It is seen, then, from the foregoing that in all places and times of the saints there were good and evil, believers and unbelievers; devout and dissolute, benevolent and perverse, spiritual and carnal; and the good by their patience made daily progress unto better: and the evil vanished like smoke in their wickedness and desires. But God, the Creator of all and the searcher of the ages, from the beginning even to the end, has known how to dispose the causes of each in such manner; that for the good all things work together unto good: and for the wicked all things end in eternal punishment. From which evils now and for ever may the loving and merciful Lord save us, the just judge and patient rewarder: Who is above all God blessed for ever. Amen.
SERMON VI @?¢ Or THE NiGHT WATCHES AGAINST THE ASSAULT oF SLEEPINESS Beeea | MON, sleepest thou? Could you not DAFA watch one hour with Me? Watch ye, and pray: that you enter not into RSseaees) temptation. This voice, beloved breth- ren, is s the voice of the heavenly King and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who urges His soldiers to watch in the camp against the temptations of the devil, the enemy of the human race. What 37 8.
37 8.
eS) SERMONS TO THE therefore the Lord watchfully addresses to blessed Peter and the other disciples: this also undoubt- edly He says to us all. Therefore, when the sacristan’ comes round at midnight and arouses us: let us be wakeful at once at the sound of the bell: and make ourselves ready by devout prayers to enter the choir: and hasten to meet the heavenly Bridegroom with burning torches. Let us endea- vour, dearly beloved, manfully to cast off the sloth of the body: and sleepiness from our eyes. Let us lift up our hands to Heaven, to praise our Creator with joyous voices and pure minds: lest perchance the most cunning enemy prevail against us: and mock at some gaping, others singing but little, others out of tune in their voices. It is a very bad habit of some and it is to be hoped not of many, which I should be ashamed to say; who in the dormitory or in bed lie long awake idly dreaming: and in the church and in choir slumber for lack of devotion. These often harm themselves and others: they neither serve Christ manfully: nor pray faithfully for benefactors and the afflicted. For they offend God seriously, rising slothfully, often coming late: chanting lukewarmly, mispro- nouncing the words, often yawning, carelessly looking about them: paying little attention, mak- ing the inclinations heedlessly, wearying of the length of the psalms, and hastening to the finish. They rejoice at the signal for the refectory, they dread the bell for chapter: they hasten to a gossip, they enter their cell but slowly: they have little interest in their work, they are eager over * Custos, i.e., custos sacrariz, whose duty it was to arouse the brethren and to ring the bell for the various Canonical Hours. Statuta Windesch., p. ii, c. viii. The sacristan in Holland is still called the Koster.
38 NOVICES REGULAR dishes well prepared. All these are signs of little devotion, of great ingratitude: and of deep shame. Alas, the fear of God is not before their eyes: nor the love of God in their heart, nor His praise in their mouth: but perfidy in their voice, and luke- warmness in their deed. Where is God, where the angels: where all the saints of God? Where is the superior, where the sacristan, where the cantor; where the lector, where the suscitator?' Everything fades away before the eyes of the sleeper. “Awake, ye just, and sin not,” says the apostle. “Watch ye and pray,” saith the Lord: “lest Satan tempt you, idle through want of spirit.” For he goeth about day and night seek- ing whom he may devour: how to deceive the simple, distract the devout: and disturb the peaceful. He is very glad if anyone does not chant, or reads ill: if he closes his eyes and slumbers: if with unguarded eyes he looks about and neglects himself. He is speedily at hand to snatch the verse from the mouth of the sleepy: and to throw into his sack the fragments of words. O silly brother of the race of sleepers and of the number of the foolish virgins, whose lamps, we read, went out in the night: if thou dost not fear God, or respect the angels, or feel shame to scandalize thy brethren; why dost thou not dread the devil laying snares for thee, who diligently records in his book all the neglected and imperfect words? For as the holy angels present devout prayers to God, and love and praise them that sing fervently; so Satan with his followers lies in 1 Literally, the arowser. With the Canons Regular of St. Victor, at intervals in the office a canon made the round of the choir to see whether all were wakeful. Such a one it seems would be the Szscztatorx of the Windesheimers.
39 2 Cornet §: SERMONS TO THE wait for them that pray, to distract and hinder those who sing psalms together in unison: and to have points not a few against them, of which to accuse and punishthem. But since thou dost not heed or fear so cruel a thief, so crafty a spy, so severe a creditor, so unsparing an accuser, and harsh executioner, and seldom or but little dost weigh the evils to come and the pains of hell: therefore thou growest weary and dost slumber: and as one dead in the grave dost lie still and silent. There is no toil so heavy, no sorrow so bitter: but that it becomes lighter by comparison with the fire of hell. Alas, what shalt thou do at the moment of death: when the devil runs to meet thee with a terrible countenance and breathing fury? Where then the faithful friends: where the fine banquets and all the honours of the world? Wilt thou escape these terrors: and not fear the demons? Arise, watch, pray: sing, read, toil. Be silent before wrongs, bear injuries, love insults: spurn honours, forgive sinners. Let not the mourning of the damned depart from thy eyes, the fearful clamour of the demons: the most grievous banishment from the presence of God and the joyous fellowship of the saints. Thou art often afraid seeing the fire of a burning furnace: thou tremblest at thunder and lightning: thou dreadest storms, and great frosts: and dost scarcely dare to go to sleep and abide in thy cell. Since thou hast heard and read that many have come to an end by a sudden accident and sickness: why