Seventh Sermon for Advent: On Our Threefold Need of Christ. If God be for Us, Who is Against Us ?’’—rom. Viii. 31

My brethren, if we celebrate with devotion the advent of the Lord, we are doing nothing more than our duty, because not only has He come to us, but He has come also for our sakes, He Who “hath no need of our goods.” Yea, rather it was our need of Him that induced Him to visit us, and the greatness of that need is clearly indicated by the greatness of His condescension. And just as the gravity of the disease may be inferred from the costliness of the medicine employed for its cure, so too may we ascertain the number of our ailments from the multitude of the remedies provided for us. For wherefore the “divisions of graces,” unless they correspond to a variety of necessities? It would be a difficult undertaking to attempt to discuss in one sermon all the spiritual wants which we experience ; but there are three which now occur to my mind, which are common to all, and which may be regarded as the principal. For there is not a soul amongst us that does not sometimes feel the need of counsel, of help, and of protection. It is indubitable that the whole human race labours under a threefold misery, a triple burden, which painfully oppresses every man so long as he lives in this region of the shadow of death, subject to the infirmities of the flesh and the assaults of temptation. For we are easily led astray ; we soon weary of labour; we quickly yield to violence. We are deceived when we try to discern between good and evil ; we faint and give up as often as we undertake a good work ; if we endeavour to resist evil, we are promptly cast down and overcome.

Very necessary, therefore, is the advent of the Saviour ; very necessary is the presence of Christ to men so encompassed with dangers. God grant that He may not only come to us, but that He may also in His infinite mercy dwell in us by faith to illumine our blindness ; remain with us by His grace to assist our utter impotence ; and stand by us with His power to protect and defend our fragility! For if He dwells in us, who shall seduce us? If He remains with us, surely we “‘ can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth”’ us. If He “be for us who is against us”? He is a faithful Counsellor, Who never can deceive us or be deceived ; He is a strong Helper, Whom labour never wearies ; He is a mighty Protector, Who will speedily enable us to trample under foot the power of Satan and will bring to naught all his cunning machinations. For He is the Wisdom of God, Who is ever ready to instruct the ignorant ; and He is the Power of God, to Whom it is easy to strengthen the fainting and to rescue the perishing. Therefore, my brethren, in all doubts and perplexities, let us have recourse to so wise a Master; in all our undertakings, let us invoke the assistance of so powerful a Helper ; in our every combat let us commit our souls to the keeping of so faithful a Protector, Who for this purpose has come into the world, that, living here in men, with men, and for men, He may illuminate their darkness, lighten their labours, and guard them from all danger. Amen.

ON THE GLORIES OF THE VIRGIN MOTHERS

I HAVE long felt a wish to write something in order to satisfy my devotion to the Mother of God, but the multiplicity of my occupations has so far proved a hindrance. At present, however, being prevented by bodily illness from joining in the community exercises, I amable to enjoy a little leisure, which, eked out by what I can subtract from my night’s repose, I shall endeavour to turn to the best account. It is therefore with feelings of pleasure that I take in hand that work especially which has been often in my thoughts, namely, the composition of sermons in praise of the Virgin Mother, as a commentary on those verses of the Gospel wherein St. Luke tells the story of the Annunciation. And although this is not rendered imperative on me by any necessity of my brethren, put him by the celebrated Hugh of St. Victor) St. Bernard successfully defends his position.—(Translator.)

whose advancement in yirtue I am bound to promote, nor even recommended by any hope of benefiting them particularly, even so, they will have no right (at least such is my opinion) to complain of me for indulging my own devotion, provided that whilst doing so I shall be found no less ready and willing to attend to the wants of each of them.