Seventh Sermon on Psalm XC: On the Protection Given to the Just at the Hour of Death, on the Meaning of the Right and Left Hand, and on the Preference We Ought to Give to the Interests of the Soul

“ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand ; but it shall not come nigh to thee.”

We live in hope, my brethren, and we do not lose heart in our present tribulation, because we are looking forward to the enjoyment of everlasting bliss. And this expectation does not appear to us vain, nor this hope uncertain, for it is grounded on the promise of eternal Truth. Moreover, the gifts already bestowed upon us are a sure pledge of future favours, and the graces we have received may be regarded as a safe guarantee that we shall also infallibly attain to the happiness of the promised glory. For, as the Psalmist says, “ The Lord of virtues, He is the King of glory.” And in the Office of Lauds we sing,

“The Father of glory lasting aye, The Father of grace invincible, With fervent hearts now let us pray To shield and guard us from all ill.’’*

Third stanza of the Ambrosian Hymn beginning “ Splendor Paternae gloriae,” and used for Lauds in the winter season.— (Translator.)

Also in another psalm, “ For God loveth mercy and truth, the Lord will give grace and glory.” Let our piety, therefore, manfully sustain the combat in this life ; let it be willing to endure with patience all manner of persecution. Why indeed should it not consent to suffer everything, since, as the Apostle says, it “is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come’’? Yes, let our piety courageously repel the assaults of the enemy, because the Lord will be nigh to assist it in the struggle and to reward its victory with a most liberal hand. “ His truth,” sings the Psalmist, “shall compass thee with a shield.” And very necessary, my brethren, is the invincible protection of divine truth to the soul, not only whilst she lives in the body, but also and especially at the moment of her departure hence. For if she requires the shield of truth during life on account of the perilous combats which she has to sustain, she has still greater need of it at the hour of death against the last fearful onslaughts of the malignant spirits. Thus, when the glorious St. Martin lay dying, the hostile power endeavoured to injure his most holy soul ; and the cruel beast, “‘ knowing that he had but a short time,” with all the fury of his unwearied malice, was not afraid to approach him in whom “he had not anything.” Nay, he had the unspeakable impudence to draw nigh to the King of glory Himself, as we learn from the Lord’s own words, “‘ The prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not anything.” Happy the soul which thus, during life, repels the darts of temptation with the shield of truth, so that, allowing no taint of poison to remain in her, “ she shall not be confounded when she shall speak to her enemies in the gate” of death! _ ‘What dost thou here, cruel beast,” cried St. Martin, “thou shalt find in me nothing that is thine.” Happy he who is so encompassed by the buckler of truth that it protects his “ coming in” and his “ going out,” namely, his exit from this life and his entrance into the next, so that the enemy has no power to hurt him in front or behind! For at that awful moment (because of the horrible spectres which are wont to present themselves) he is more in need of a strong defence, of a faithful guide, and a wise consoler, than he was during life of help and protection against invisible seducers.

Therefore, my dearest brethren, “ glorify and bear (Christ) in your body.” You shall find Him a sweet burden, a pleasant load, a salutary weight, and that even though He may sometimes appear to press heavily upon you, even though He should occasionally plunge the spurs into your sides and use the whip on your back to conquer your stubbornness, even though He should, from time to time, “ with bit and bridle bind fast your jaws ” and hold you tight. This is your happiness. Make yourselves, then, as beasts of burden, to carry the Saviour, yet not altogether as beasts of burden. “Man when he was in honour,” says the Royal Prophet, “did not understand: he is compared to senseless beasts and is become like to them.” Wherefore does the Psalmist here so greatly lament or reprove in man a likeness to the beasts ; especially because in another place he says of himself, speaking to God, and apparently not without some self-satisfaction, “I am become as a beast before Thee, and I am always with Thee”? It seems to me, I should rather say, ce it is manifest to me, that there is a certain kind of resemblance to the beasts commendable in man, not surely that which consists in the want of wisdom and understanding, but that which consists in the imitation of their patience. The Prophet would certainly not be understood to have spoken in anger, nor yet in sorrow, had he said, “ Man when he was under the yoke of God did not resist, but was as a beast before Him.” Who could do otherwise than envy exceedingly that poor beast on whose humble back the Saviour (wishing thus to commend His own ineffable meekness) condescended to sit, if along with the privilege of bearing so precious a burden, it had also the power to appreciate the honour? Be ye therefore not simply beasts, but in some respects as beasts. Bear your burden with patience, yet understand what an honour it is to be so laden. Reflect wisely and sweetly on the priceless worth of the load you carry and on the advantage to yourselves accruing therefrom.

The illustrious martyr, St. Ignatius, who was a disciple of “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and who belongs to us in a special manner because his precious relics have enriched our poverty, this great man, I say, wrote many letters to one Mary* in which he addresses her as “‘ Christ-bearing ’’ (Christifera). Could there be a more splendid title of dignity or one expressive of greater honour? For if to serve Christ is to reign, to bear Him must surely be more honourable than burdensome. Do you suppose there was any occasion to fear lest that ass’s colt, whereon the Saviour sat, should fall on the way beneath such a burden ?

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Or with such a Rider had it any reason to dread the attacks of wolves, the ambush of robbers, the steep precipice, or other such dangers? Blessed is the man who has borne Christ in such a way as to deserve to be introduced into the holy city by the Saint of saints? There is nothing at all that he need be afraid of, neither obstacles in the road nor a repulse at the gate. For the holy angels will prepare the way for such a beast of burden, as the faithful people did of old for the ass that bore the Saviour. Hence the Psalmist sings, ““ He hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” However, these verses must await their turn: the order of exposition must follow the order of the sacred text.

“ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh to thee.” This, as you know, is the verse which I have to discuss to-day. In my discourse upon the last preceding text, I explained, if you remember, how the shield of truth protects us from the four principal and most dangerous temptations which we have to encounter in this life, namely, from «the terror of the night,” from “the arrow that flieth in the day,” from “ the business that walketh about in the dark,” from “ invasion and the noon-day devil.” But what is said here, ‘‘ A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh to thee,” has to be referred, as I think, to the future life. And you remember, I suppose, the words cited from the Apostle at the beginning of the present discourse, in which he tells us that “piety is profitable to all things, having promise of the life which now is and of that which is to come.”

Listen, then, and listen with joy of heart, to what appears to belong to the promise of the future life, and consequently to your hope. “ For where your treasure is there (should be) your heart also.” Ican bear witness to the attention with which you have heard what appertains to the life that now is. But still greater attention is due to that which concerns the life to come. For even the pseudo-prophet—Balaam I mean, as you understand who have read the narrative—even that impious man prayed that “ his soul might die the death of the just and that his last end might be like to them.” So precious are the fruits of piety, so great is the reward of justice, that even the wicked and unjust cannot help desiring them. Nevertheless, the “songs of Sion ” do not sound to advantage amongst the willows of Babylon. The true Israelite must therefore hang up his harp upon them, and rather begin a lamentation “ upon the rivers * of Babylon,” if perchance they can be persuaded to join in his weeping. But here manifestly is the place for song, where are not wanting those who with all alacrity of spirit will dance to the sound of the psaltery, to the music of Sion, and who, in the eagerness of holy desires, are impatient to fly thither, saying with the Psalmist, “ Who will give me wings like a dove and I will fly and be at rest ?”’ For what is it to exult (exultare) but to leap out of one’s self (ex se ipso saltare) ? Those who are still struggling for life in the midst of the ocean, tossed upon the waves, buffeted by the billows, find but little consolation in the accounts of the serenity and the loveliness, no matter how great, of the passions and lusts, and live for this world alone. Cf. Bellarmin on Ps. cxxxvi. 1-2.—(Translator.)

land so far distant, and which they almost despair of reaching. In the same way, the worldly soul can discover nothing to comfort her in the words which we are now examining. For no such soul has as yet merited to receive the promise, “ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand.” Remember to whom these words are addressed, to him, namely, “ that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High,” and “ shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven.” Listen, therefore, you who “in thought and desire ”’ have already reached the haven of salvation, who, having cast out the anchor of your hope, so to speak, seem to cling irremovably to that delectable land, and who, like holy Job, “ all the days in which you are now in warfare, expect until your change come.” I tell you confidently that the principal and surest approach to the longed-for haven is the manner of life you are living here. For a divine vocation and supernatural holiness form the necessary preparation for our entrance into glory. It may be said that these two things, viz., the call of God and our sanctification, constitute a kind of bridge, connecting one eternity with another, the eternity of predestination with the eternity of glorification. I call them eternities, because whilst predestination has been bounded by no beginning, glorification shall be confined by no ending. But lest you should suppose it is only a fancy of my own that makes our vocation and justification a bridge between two eternities, listen to the Apostle, and see if he does not express the same idea when he says, ‘‘ Whom He (God) foreknew, He also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of His Son.” How, think you, or in what order, will He glorify

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His elect ? For there is no work of God that has not order. Do you imagine you shall pass from predestination to glorification by a sudden bound, as it were? If not, then build for yourselves a connecting bridge, or rather avail yourselves of the one already built. “Whom He predestinated,’ continues the Apostle, “them He also called ; and whom He called, them He also justified ; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”

This, my brethren “is the way which seemeth good” to many. And a good way it is in truth, with regard to the end whereof there is nothing to be feared. You have no cause to anticipate evil at its term. Advance, then, with courage, and all the more eagerly in proportion to your confidence that you are now nearing the goal. You possess the means already, how therefore can it be that you are not approaching the end? ‘Do penance,” says the Saviour, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But some one may answer me, “ Yes, but ‘ the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and (none but) the violent bear it away.’ It is only through the midst of hostile phalanxes I can find access to that kingdom. There are monsters to be met with on the road: they fly in the air, they beset the paths, and everywhere lie in wait for travellers.” Nevertheless, I say to thee: go forward with good courage and fear not. Thy enemies are powerful, indeed, and numerous. But what of that? “ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand.” They shall fall round about thee, and shall never again have the power to do thee harm, yea, shall not be able to come nigh thee any more. For “the wicked one shall see and shall be angry ” ; but he can only attack thee from the side, because the mercy of thy God shall go before and follow thee, as I have said, guarding thy going out and thy coming in. Otherwise how could any human soul sustain the terrific onslaught of the “spirits of wickedness,” without being overwhelmed with insupportable fear ?

What think you, my brethren? If it were allowed even one of the innumerable angels of Satan to rush at this moment into your midst, and to show himself in all his fiendish ferocity and in the hideous ugliness of a body of darkness, which of you would have the courage or the power so much as to gaze upon him ? Not long since, as you well remember, a phantom of the night was permitted to terrify one of your number, at first in sleep and afterwards when awake, and to such a degree that almost during the whole of the next day the poor brother continued in a state of terror and could not becalmed. Yea, you were all of you badly frightened when his blood-curdling cries sounded in your ears. You ought to feel ashamed that your faith seemed then to have slept even as your bodies. This occurrence was doubtless permitted for our instruction, in order to make us more earnest by reminding us with whom “our wrestling ” is, lest at any time we should be found either heedless of Satan’s malice or ungrateful for the divine protection. For it was the violent pain of impotent jealousy that excited the demon’s inveterate hatred of us to such a pitch of fury, whereby he showed that he is more fiercely tormented than usual during these holy days by our increased devotion and penance. It is with the same fury of jealous rage, and even with larger liberty, that he attacks holy souls at the hour of death. But he can then only approach them from the side (as already remarked) : he is not allowed either to assault them in front, with open violence, as it were, or treacherously to creep upon them from behind. _But not even “ by the wayside ” shall he lay for thee a “stumbling-block,” because, as it is written, “he shall not come nigh to thee.” And not alone shall he not come nigh to hurt thee, but he shall not even approach so as to make thee afraid. Thou seemest to me to be apprehensive lest perchance an uncontrollable terror should seize thee at the view of such horrible spectres and so vast a multitude of ghoulish forms. But courage! Thou shalt have at thy side a most excellent Comforter, a most admirable Consoler, the Same of Whom it is written, ‘‘ Before Him the Ethiopians shall fall down, and His enemies shall lick the ground.” Plainly, “in His sight the malignant is brought to nothing ” ; and thus will He glorify the soul that fears Him. Only be Thou at my side, Lord Jesus, and let my enemies rush upon me as they please, for all their efforts shall be fruitless: let them hurl themselves against me from all sides, for they shall be beaten back “‘ and perish at the presence of God as wax melteth before the fire.” Why should I be afraid of enemies who are already vanquished ? Why should I fear enemies already in panic ? Why should I tremble before enemies already cast down? No, but I will say with the Psalmist, ‘‘ Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for Thou art with me,” O Lord, my God. For as soon as the “day shall break and the shadows retire,” the powers of darkness shall fall on every side. If even now, whilst “ we walk by faith and not by sight ” amidst their malignant and secret suggestions, our faith conquers and triumphs over all the hosts of hell, how shall not the clear perception of manifest truth more easily vanquish them then, with all their black and horrible phantoms? But lest perhaps thou shouldst be disconcerted at their number, lest the very multitude of thy enemies should frighten thee, remember how, at the first command of the Saviour, a whole legion of devils went out from the body of a single man whom they had long possessed and occupied, and how without His permission they did not dare to enter even the swine. Much more, then, shall they fall around the departing soul which fights under His leadership, however numerous they may be. Yes, they shall fall, crying out in confusion and astonishment, “ Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array ? ” Fearless and undaunted, rather I should say, exulting and praising God, ‘‘ thou shalt consider with thy eyes, and shalt see the reward of the wicked,” never more to sustain their assaults, never more to tremble at their fury.

These remarks, as I think, would have sufficed for to-day, were it not for the strong suspicion I have that the minds of some of you are still strained in expectation. Unless I am deceived, the more reflective amongst you are asking themselves why it is that, according to the Psalmist, ten thousand are destined to fall at the right hand, and only a thousand at the left. I say “ the left,” because in my opinion that is what the Prophet intends we should understand when he speaks of the “side,” especially as he immediately designates the right hand by its proper name. And in truth it is not without a mysterious significance that we are told so many shall fall at the left hand, and ten times as many at the right. Nobody, I suppose, will be so dull and undiscerning as to think that the words, “‘ A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand,” are meant to signify an exact proportion, and not rather a superabundant excess. At all events, that is not my way of interpreting the Holy Scriptures, nor is it the way of the Church of God. On the left hand, then, a thousand shall fall, and ten thousand shall fall on the right. And the reason why the enemies fall in greater number on the right is, because they are wont to attack this side in greater strength and with greater fury. If you will now turn your attention to the great body of the Church, you may easily observe that her spiritual members are accustomed to be more violently assaulted than such as are carnal: for it seems to me that these two classes of Christians may be regarded not unreasonably as representing the Church’s right and left sides. Against this mystical body the envious malice of the proud demon wages unremitting war, attacking more fiercely the more perfect members, according to what is written, “ His food is what is most excellent,’* and “He will drink up a river and not wonder: and he trusted that the Jordan may run into his mouth.” He wages a relentless war, I say, against the whole Church, yet not without subserving a certain design of divine wisdom, which does not suffer even the weak ‘‘ to be tempted above that which they are able, but will make also with temptation issue that they may be able to bear it,” whilst furnishing the perfect with occasions of more glorious and more numerous victories over the enemy. Consequently, the entire Church of the elect shall becrowned, because on both sides, right and left, she shall have “ lawfully striven,” mightily “ pushing down (her) enemies with (both) horns” during her earthly career, so that a little later they (the enemies) shall manifestly appear falling, a thousand on her left hand and ten thousand on her right. Thus of old, when David had given proof of superior prowess, and Saul’s reprobation was not yet known in Israel, “ the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”’

But if you prefer to understand these words of each individual member of the Church, according to this view also, you can discover, as I think, an appropriate spiritual signification by consulting the records of your own experience. For you shall find that the “ opposing powers ” labour to wound us on the right side with for more earnestness and more manifold cunning than they show in their attacks upon our left : that they are more concerned to destroy our souls than to injure our bodies. We know that they envy us all kinds of good, material as well as spiritual, and that they endeavour to deprive us of both temporal and eternal happiness: nevertheless they would be much better pleased to see us losing the “ dew of heaven” than the “fatness of earth.” As to whether I have spoken properly in representing as the two sides of man the two substances whereof his nature consists, that, my brethren, is for you to judge. But if your verdict herein is favourable, I shall have no fear that you will find fault with me for assigning the goods of the soul to the right hand and the goods of the body to the left ; and the more especially, because it is your constant care and solicitude never to regard your right hand as your left, or your left hand as your right. Nor does the Wise Man approve of any other disposition than that we should hold “length of days, viz., our eternal interests, in the right hand and in the left riches and glory,” that is to say, the goods of time. It is very expedient for us to know this also: against what point the enemy directs his most violent and determined efforts. For we have to make the most resolute resistance there where the danger is most threatening, where the battle rages fiercest, where the issue is to be decided, where a shameful captivity awaits the vanquished and a glorious triumph the victors.

Therefore, my brethren, it cannot be imputed to you as folly that you seem to have exposed your left side to the enemy to pummel as he pleases, in order that you may thus protect your right with greater diligence. For this is the prudence of the serpent, which Christ has so earnestly commended and proposed for the imitation of all His disciples: to be ready to expose the whole body, if necessary, for the protection of the head. This is the only true philosophy; this is the counsel of the Holy Spirit, that “ with all watchfulness ” we should “ keep our heart, because life issueth from out of it.” This, lastly, is ‘the grace of God and His mercy with His saints” and His “respect to His chosen,” that disregarding, as it were, their left side, during the time of their probation, He is ever standing near to defend their right. Hence it is that the Psalmist testifies of himself, ‘‘ I set the Lord always in my sight: for He is at my right hand that I be not moved.” And do you not suppose that the Lord likewise held the right hand, and the right hand alone, of holy Job, since He gave the enemy full power to work his will on his flesh and substance? ‘“‘ And the Lord said to Satan : Behold he is in thy hand” ; but added, “ yet save his soul.” O good Jesus, would Thou wert ever at my right hand! Would that my right hand were always held by Thee! For I know and am certain that no adversity shall have power to hurt meif“ no iniquity has dominion over me.” Let my left side, therefore, be stripped bare and beaten whilst I live here below. Let it be made a butt for injuries and insults. Gladly do I expose it, provided Thou, O Lord, dost defend me, provided Thou art “my protection upon my right hand.” *

But perhaps we ought to understand the thousand who fall on the left hand to be wicked men rather than demons. For our human enemies only persecute us on account of temporal and transitory goods, which out of jealous malignity they hate us for having, or rather, from an unjust cupidity, lament that they have not themselves. They will endeavour, perhaps, to deprive us of the substance of this world, or of the favour of men, or even of the life of the body. But beyond this the malice of men cannot go: they have no power to injure the soul. But the demons, as you know, envy us the eternal happiness of heaven; not that they have any hope of obtaining it for themselves, since, as they are aware, it is irreparably lost to them,

_ * Cf. St. Augustine’s prayer, ‘‘ Hic caede, hic ure, sed parce in aeternum.” —(Translator.)

but because they cannot endure to see the “ needy lifted up out of the dung hill ” and enjoying the glory in which they were created* and have for ever forfeited. Consequently their obstinate malice rages against us and they are consumed with bitter jealousy at the thought that weak human nature is destined to obtain what they proved unworthy to keep. And even when they endeavour to inflict temporal loss on anyone, or rejoice to see it inflicted by other causes, their one motive is that the material injury may become an occasion of spiritual detriment either to the person himself or to some other : just as, on the contrary, whenever men attempt either to induce us to do,or to do themselves, what is prejudicial to our spiritual interests, that is not their principal object, but rather some temporal advantage which they expect shall accrue to themselves, or to us, or to somebody else: that is to say, they are mainly influenced by the desire of obtaining temporal good or avoiding temporal evil. It may be, however, that a man is able to change himself into a devil to such a degree as to wish to behold someone whom he heartily hates condemned to eternal torments.

Being thus in so many ways harassed and pursued by our spiritual enemies, why are we so wretchedly remiss in the care of our souls? Iam ashamed to acknowledge it, but the greatness of my grief will not suffer me to be silent: how many there are at the present day, even amongst those who wear the religious habit and are bound to the pursuit of perfection, how many, I say, shall you now find who seem to have fulfilled in themselves that awful imprecation of the Prophet, “Tf I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten!’’ For by devoting all their care and solicitude to the defence of their left side, they have acquired much wisdom, but it is the wisdom of this world, which they ought to have renounced: it is the wisdom revealed,not by the Father Who is in heaven, but by flesh and blood, to which they formerly appeared, like the Apostle, unwilling to “condescend.” Hence you may see them eagerly pursuing the goods of fortune; rejoicing like seculars over worldly advantages ; pusillanimously disturbed by any loss, however small, of earthly goods, and contentiously striving for the possession of the same ; shamelessly running hither and thither ; scandalously engaging themselves in purely temporal affairs, as if this were their sole concern, this their substance and portion. The peasant, who has no more extensive or more valuable possession than afew miserable acres, may excusably devote all his attention to the cultivation of them. The beggar may conceal in his bosom a morsel of bread, because this is the only

SEVENTH SERMON ON PSALM XC igi kind of ware that would rust in his wallet. But as for thee, my brother, wherefore dost thou spend thyself on trifles so poor, criminally prodigal of thy labour ? For thou hast a richer inheritance than the things of this world. Perhaps thou thinkest that it is too far away? If so, thou errest. For nothing is nearer to us than that which is within us.* But perchance thou wilt answer, not that it is too far remote, but that it is of no value, and that therefore thou deemest it more prudent to strive after a sufficiency of earthly goods ? This also is a mistake. The sufficiency thou art seeking thou shalt more surely find in the service of God, nay, nowhere else can it be found at all. Possibly thou art under the impression that the spiritual vineyard requires no labour? Or that it wouldnot sufficiently reward thy labour? Or at least that it is perfectly safe and not needing to be watched by the keeper? If thou entertainest any such belief, know that thou art harbouring a grave delusion. In spiritual matters it is especially true that “what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap,” and that “he who soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who soweth in blessings shall also reap in blessings,” so that one man may have fruit thirty-fold, another sixty-fold, and a third a hundred-fold. ‘‘ But thou hast this treasure in earthen vessels,” that is, if thou still hast it. For it seems to me thou hast lost it ; it seems to me that it has been taken from thee; it seems to me that, in the words of the Prophet, ‘strangers have devoured thy strength and thou knowest it not’’; it seems to me that the reason why thou dost not keep thy heart in thy treasure is because that treasure itself has been lost. But if it is still in thy possession, then I beg of thee, who art so careful of thy other goods that thou despisest not the least, who showest so much solicitude for the preservation of thy chaff, I beg of thee to attend also to the keeping and guarding of thy corn. Nay, thou oughtest not to expose thy treasure to any risk at all seeing thou art so attentive to thy dunghill. For although the dunghill may excite the envy of a thousand, perhaps there will be ten thousand enemies to envy thee thy treasure, and enemies no less abounding in cruelty and craft than they are strong in numbers. ‘A thousand shall fall at thy side,” says the Psalmist, “and ten thousand at thy right hand.” Turn hither the eyes of thy faith. Perhaps thou shalt discover that the robbers have already broken through, perhaps they are now engaged in plundering thy house and dividing the spoil. Wherefore dost thou keep such vigilant guard over thy left side, like a foolishly watchful sentinel, unless because worldly goods appear to thee to be no longer at thy side but before thy face, unless because it is these things rather than the Lord thou settest always in thy sight, so that he who touches them seems to wound, not thy side, but the very apple of thine eye?

Oh, take care, whoever thou art, that thus, neglecting thy right side, attendest exclusively to thy left, take care lest at the judgment thou shouldst find thyself placed with the goats, on the left which thou hast chosen. This is a “ sharp word,” my brethren, and no wonder it makes you tremble. But it is not enough to fear it unless we also endeavour to avoid it. And I recall how my Lord Jesus, after all His other unspeakable mercies to me, for my sake also suffered His right Side to be opened, because He wished to give me to drink from that Side only, and there to prepare for me a place of refuge. Would to God I were worthy to dwell like the dove of the Canticle “ in the clefts of the Rock, in the hollow place ” of His right Side! But remember that Christ did not feel this wound at all. For He willed to receive it only after the slumber of death had deprived Him of sensibility. This was in order to admonish us that, so long as we live, we ought to keep wakeful watch over our right side ; and that the soul which is so perversely insensible as not to be conscious of a wound inflicted here, should consider herself dead. We are told that the human heart is placed in the left side: there is a special fittingness in that, because our affections are ever inclined to the things of earth. Nor was the Psalmist ignorant of this, since he exclaimed in piteous accents, “ My soul hath cleaved to the pavement: quicken Thou me according to Thy word.” Neither was the Prophet Jeremias, who, however, would not have us to sink under the burden of our human condition and heaviness of heart, but calls out to us encouragingly, saying, ‘‘ Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.” By these words, he is plainly exhorting us to transfer our heart from the left side to the right. Soldiers of this world, my brethren, are accustomed to carry their shields on their left side only. But let not us imitate them in this, that is, unless we wish to be numbered amongst those who manifestly fight for earthly interests and not for Christ. ‘‘ No one,” says the Apostle, ‘‘ being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular businesses.” As if he should say, “ No soldier of God carries his shield more to his left side than to his right.”

Nevertheless, both sides must be protected. For

J M you have not forgotten the words of the Psalmist, “ His truth shall compass thee with a shield.” And the Apostle also says, “ In all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God . . . by the armour of justice on the right hand and on the left.” But perhaps it is not the same manner of defence that is prescribed for both sides. Let us therefore listen to Justice Itself, speaking to us in the Holy Scriptures. On the one hand it is said, ‘‘ Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved, but give place unto wrath,” also, “ In your patience you shall possess your souls ” ; and on the other, ‘‘ Give not place to the devil,” and, “‘ Resist the devil and he will fly from you.” Listen again to St. Paul telling you how you may guard both sides: “ Providing good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men.” “ For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may (not only cause the demons to pine away with envy, but also) put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” But shall we always require this protection? Shall we be always exposed on our two sides to the attacks of our enemies ? No, my brethren. The time will come when they shall be unable to stand upright, not to speak of making an attack upon us. ‘‘ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand.” For the malice of men shall then have no power to hurt us, and we shall be as little afraid of the legions of devils as of so many swarms of worms or flies. We shall gaze upon them as fearlessly as the children of Israel, after crossing the Red Sea, contemplated the drowning Egyptians with their horses and chariots submerged in the waters. And we also, but with more joy and security, shall “sing to the Lord, for He is gloriously magnified, the horse and the rider He hath thrown into the sea.”