Fifth Sermon for the Dedication of a Church: On the House, Temple, City, and Spouse of God

‘* What is man that Thou shouldst magnify him? Or why dost Thou set Thy heart upon him ? "’—Job vii. 17.

To-day, my brethren, we keep as a solemn and glorious festival. So much I find easy to say. But if you proceed to ask me, in honour of what saint or saints has this festival been instituted, I may find it more difficult to give you an answer. Whenever we have the feast of an apostle, or of a martyr, or of a confessor, there is no trouble at all in ascertaining the name of the particular saint whose memory is being honoured, whether it be St. Peter, or the glorious Protomartyr Stephen, or our blessed father, St. Benedict, or some other illustrious prince of the heavenly court. But to-day’s solemnity does not belong to any of these: — and nevertheless it is a solemnity, yea, and no ordinary one. And if you desire to know, it is the solemnity of the house of God, of the temple of God, of the city of the Eternal King, of the spouse of Christ. No one surely can doubt that the spouse of the Saint of saints is holy and worthy to be celebrated with highest honour. And who will question that the house of God is holy, — whereof it is written, ‘‘ Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days ” (Ps. xcii. 5)? And concerning His temple also we read, “ Holy is Thy temple, —

ON THE HOUSE OF GOD 417 wonderful in justice’ (Ps. lxiv. 5,¹). With regard to the city of God, the Apostle John tells us that he saw it, and witnesses to its holiness: “I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband ” (Apoc. xxi. 2). In what I have just been saying, my brethren, something has been partially revealed which, I confess, it was my purpose to dissemble yet awhile. I refer to the fact that the spouse of Christ signifies the same thing as the city of God, that both are identical with the temple and again with the house. Nor should this surprise you, especially when you consider that it is one and the same Lord likewise Who vouchsafes to reveal Himself at one time as a Bridegroom, at another as a King, now as God, and now as a Father of a family.*

However, I do not suppose you will be satisfied until you have learned more clearly what that is which deserves to becalled and to be in truth the house of this Father of a family, the temple of this God, the city of this King, yea, even the bride of this glorious Bridegroom. But, brethren, I feel a great reluctance to express to you my thoughts on this subject, fearing lest —which God forbid—my words should be heard by anyone either with doubt or with danger to humility, lest anyone should leave this room either puffed up by reason of the greatness of the glory or incredulous through “ pusillanimity of spirit ” (Ps. liv. 9). I desire that you should be always found humble and believing, because both faith and humility are in a special way necessary for salvation. For “ God giveth grace to the humble ” alone (James iv. 6) and “‘ without faith it is impossible to please Him ” (Heb. xi. 6). I wish, therefore, and most ardently desire that you would be solicitous to show yourselves to Him as at once little and great, nay—which will astonish you more—as at once nothing and something, even as something very great.* For without a great soul you will not be able to contain the great gifts of God, nor to do violence to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. xi. 12), and neither can you enter the same heavenly kingdom “‘ unless you be converted and become as little children ”?” (Matt. xviii. 3). My brethren, I make no pretence to profundity of wisdom, nor can I communicate to you that which I have never received. However, I will describe for you how I sometimes occupy myself in my own soul, to the end that you may follow my example or such of you as may judge it useful to do so. Well, being persuaded long ago that if I would please God I must in the first place have pity on my own soul (Ecclus. xxx. 24), I have been accustomed

ON THE HOUSE OF GOD 419 to make my soul the frequent object of my meditation; and I only wish I could keep my thoughts constantly centred thereupon. But there was a time when such mental occupation had little attraction for me, because I then had but little love for my soul, or, to be more exact, no love at all. How could I love her whilst I loved what was her death ? For’ iia asais certain and indubitable, iniquity is the death of the soul, you can see how absolutely true are the words of the Psalmist, “ He that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul ” (Ps. x. 6). I, accordingly, hated my own soul, as hate her I should still, had not He Who first loved her (x John iv. 10) inspired me also with that poor begin-ining of love for her of which I have just spoken.

Now when I reflect upon my soul—which by the grace of God I often do—it seems to me that I discover in her two distinct and opposite aspects. If I consider her according to truth as she is in and of herself, I can say nothing more certain of her than that she is reduced to nothing (Ps. lxxii. 22). What need is there now to enumerate one by one all her many miseries, how she is burdened with sins, enveloped in darkness, enslaved to pleasure, tormented with desires, dominated by passions, filled with delusions, always prone to evil, easily accessible to every vice, in a word, full of all shame and confusion? Now if as the Prophet says, “all our justices are as a filthy rag” (Is. Ixiv. 6) when examined under the light of truth, in what manner shall our injustices appear? “‘ Ifthe light that isin us be darkness, the darkness itself how great shall it be?’’ (Matt. vi. 23). Itis open to every one of us, my brethren, if we would only examine ourselves thoroughly and without any dissimulation, and judge ourselves impartially, to corroborate in every particular the testimony of the Apostle and to proclaim with him, “ If any man think himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself ” (Gal. vi. 3). “ What is man,” cries out a devout and faithful confessor, “‘ what is man that Thou shouldst magnify him? Or why dost Thou set Thy heart upon him?” (Job vii. 17). What is man? There is no reason to doubt the Prophet’s answer: ‘‘ Man is made like to vanity ” (Ps. cxliii. 3), he is “ brought to nothing ” (Ps. lxxii. 22) : man therefore is nothing. Yet, on the other hand, how can he be nothing whom God magnifies? How can he be nothing upon whom God has set His heart ?

Let us be of good cheer, my brethren. For if we are nothing in the thought of our own hearts, perchance a different estimate of us lies concealed in the heart of God. O“‘ Father of mercies ” (2 Cor.i.²)! O Father of the miserable ! Wherefore dost Thou set Thy heart upon us? I know, I know the reason! ‘‘ Where Thy treasure is, there is Thy heart also” (Matt. vi. 21). How then can we be nothing considering that we are Thy treasure? “All nations are before Thee as if they had no being at all, and are counted to Thee as nothing and vanity ” (Is. xl. 17). So indeed they are before, viz., as compared with Thee, yet not so within Thee: so they are in the judgment of Thy truth, yet not soin the tender affection of Thy heart. For Thou “‘callest those things that are not as those that are ” (Rom. iv. 17): they are not, therefore, because it is the things that are not Thou callest, and they ave at the same time because Thou callest them. That is to say, although, as regards themselves they are not, nevertheless to Him they are, but, as the Apostle says, “ not by works but by Him

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That calleth ” (Rom. ix. rr). Thus, O Lord, thus Thou consolest in Thy loving-kindness those whom Thou humblest in Thy truth, so that being straitened in their own bowels, they may be gloriously enlarged in Thine (2 Cor. vi. 12). For “all Thy ways are mercy and truth to them that seek after Thy testament and Thy testimonies’ (Ps. xxiv. 10), that is, the testament of Thy mercy and the testimonies of Thy truth.

Read, O man, in thine own heart, read within thy conscience the testimonies of truth concerning thyself, and thou shalt judge thyself unworthy to enjoy even the common light of day. But read in the heart of God the testament of piety which has been confirmed by the Blood of the Mediator (Heb. ix. 17, 18) and thou shalt see what a wide difference there is between what _ thou possessest in hope and what thou hast in effect.

“What is man that Thou shouldst magnify him ? ” Something great, surely, but orly in the Lord, since it is by the Lord he is magnified. How indeed can he be otherwise than great in the esteem of that God Who hath such great care of him? “He hath care,of you,” says the Apostle Peter (1 Peter v. 7). And the Psalmist sings, “ I am a beggar and poor: the Lord is careful forme ” (Ps. xxxix. 18). See what a beautiful connexion there is between the two thoughts expressed in this sentence, as if the Prophet ascending and descending at one and the same moment saw himself below in his poverty and need and God above full of solicitude for him. But thus to ascend and descend at the same time is really the prerogative of the holy angels. ‘‘ You shall see the heavens opened,” says the Lord in the Gospel, “and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man”’ (John i.³). Nor do their ascents and descents imply any such vicissitudes as those which mortals experience. For although the angels “‘ are sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation ” (Heb. i. 14), they never cease to stand before the face of the Divine Majesty, God in His mercy so providing that the consolation they give us should subtract nothing from their own bliss. When indeed would they be willing for our sakes to be separated even for a moment from that vision of glory whereupon they always “‘ desire to look ” (x Peteri. 12) ? And hear what Truth Itself says in the Gospel, “‘ Their angels— that is, the angels of the little ones—in heaven always see the face of My Father ” (Matt. xviii. 10). Therefore we must believe that they are so charged with the office of watching over the little ones as to be in no way deprived of their own beatitude. And if St. John only beheld the holy city coming down, that was because he could not have seen it where, at the same time, it was standing still. Notice particularly how he speaks of it as descending and not as falling down. It is true indeed that no small part of that city fell long before, but it was the part furthest removed from holiness, since the very cause of its desperate fall was that it made itself hostile to the sanctity of the whole (Apoc. xxi. 2).

John could not have witnessed that terrific fall and irreparable ruin, because he was not then in existence. But he saw the Word Who was “in the beginning ” (John i. 2) ; he saw “ the Beginning Who also spoke ” (John, viii. 25) to the Apostles, saying to them, “‘ I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven ” (Luke x. 18). Accordingly it is this part of the holy city which has fallen down that is to be restored by God when He shall

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“rebuild the walls of Jerusalem ” (Ps.⁴.⁵) and “fill up the ruins” (Ps. cix. 6), not, however, with the same stones that fell out of their places. But as for the part which was seen descending; that was already prepared, as the Evangelist explicitly testifies when, after speaking of the city’s descent, he adds that it was ‘‘ prepared by God.’’* For that the holy angels descend instead of falling is due to this divine preparation, since it is God Who has prepared their will unto this and given them the necessary power (Phil ii. 13). So we hear the Apostle also declaring that they are not alone “ministering spirits ’’ but “ sent to minister ” (Heb. 1. 14). And in truth what wonder is it that the Word should send His angels “to minister for them ” (ibid.) for whose sake He Himself willed to be sent by the Father? What wonder that the heavens were bowed down in the service of them for whose sake the King of the heavens bowed down Himself, even so low as to write with His finger on the ground (John viii. 6) ? - “O Lord, bow down Thy heavens and—since that is not enough for us—descend ” (Ps. cxliii. 5) Thyself also. Is there anything more necessary? Yes, that they to whom He condescends should be made to ascend to Him. Now, as I have observed before, the angelic ascents and descents are accomplished without any vicissitude. We, on the contrary, are obliged to perform, ours in alternation, because we are not allowed to remain aloft for any considerable time and it is not expedient for us to remain too long below. This is what de coelo a Deo, paratam, etc.” Cf. Treatise on Consideration, p. 102, note (Mount Melleray Translation),—(Translator.)

the Psalmist signifies, where he says, “‘ They mount up to heaven and they go down to the depths: their soul pined away with evils ” (Ps. cvi. 26). But the meaning of these last words ? No doubt we are given to understand by them that in the present life the soul is more wasted with evil than delighted with good, because the former is possessed in effect and the latter only in hope. |

‘ Who then can be saved ?”’ asked the disciples of the Saviour. And He replied, ‘‘ With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible ” (Matt. xix. 25, 6). My brethren, here is the whole ground of our confidence, here is our only consolation, here is our one solid reason for hope.

We are now convinced of God’s power to save us. But what as to His will? Who “ knoweth whether he be worthy of love or hatred ” (Eccles. ix. 1)? ‘“‘ Who hath known the mind of the Lord ? Or who hath been ~

His counsellor ?’’ (Rom. xi. 34). Here, manifestly, we require the assistance of faith, here it is necessary that — piety should succour us, so that we may know by revelation from the Holy Spirit what is the judgment concerning us which lies concealed in the heart of the Father, “ the Spirit giving testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God ” (Rom. viii. 16). Now, He will render us this testimony by calling us and justifying us freely through faith (Rom. iii. 24), which call and justification are, asit were, two golden links uniting our eternal — predestination with our future glorification (Rom. viii. 30). I think, therefore, that the first of those two considerations, by which we are alternately brought low and lifted aloft, may be rightly referred to judgment and truth, and the second to faith and piety. Nor will you judge it anything strange that such contrary dis-

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ON THE HOUSE OF GOD 425 positions should be found in man if you consider well what a wide diversity of substances co-exists in his single nature. For what is more sublime than a spiritual essence? And what is more abject than the mire of the earth? This dissimilarity of the substances constituting human nature was not unknown, as I conceive, to the wise of this world, since they defined man as a mortal rational animal.* Marvellous, in truth, is the union between death and the faculty of reason, wonderful the alliance of intelligence with corruption. Thus also in man’s character, in his affections, in his disposition, the same, perhaps even a greater contrariety is found ; so that if you consider all that is evil in him to the exclusion of the good, and again consider all that seems good in him to the exclusion of the evil, it will appear to you an evident miracle that such insociable elements have been made to combine. Hence it is that the same man is justly called at one time Bar-Jona, and at another Satan.f “ Wonder not at this” (John v. 28). Remember to whom it is said in the Gospel, first, “ Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona’”’ (Matt. xvi. 17), and shortly afterwards, ‘“‘Go behind me, Satan ” (ibid. 23). Remember also that he was truly called by both names, because called so by Truth. Consequently, the one individual had both characters although not from the one source. For he received the first from the Father,

• The name Jona or John signifies in the Hebrew both **dove’”’ and “ gift of God.” Cf. A Lapide on Matt. xvi. 17. Hence St. Jerome writes: “ As a reward for his confession, Peter received a name which implied that he had a revelation from the Holy Spirit, because Bar-Jona means in our tongue the son of the Dove.” The fact that Peter’s father was named John is mentioned by St. John Evangelist, xxi. 15. Satan means “ adversary.” —(Translator.)

and the second from man : * nevertheless he was equally Bar-jona and Satan. Why is he called Bar-jona? Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed to him what he said, but the Father (Matt. xvi. 17). Why is he called Satan ? Because he “ savoured not the things that are of God but the things that are of men ” (ibid. 23). Now if we diligently examine what we are, under these two aspects of our nature, or rather if we consider how from the one point of view we are nothing, and from the other something very sublime, as being objects of tenderest solicitude to the Majesty of God and having His heart set upon us: I believe our glorying will appear more modest, yet will, at the same time, be greater and better founded than before, because we shall glory not in ourselves but in the Lord (2 Cor. x. 17). For our one source of confidence is that we can say: if God wills to save us, we shallinfallibly be saved (Jer. xvii. 14).

Let us now take our stand for a little while upon our lofty watch-tower and see if we can thence discover the house of God, the temple of God, the city of God, yea, the spouse of God. You see, brethren, I have not forgotten what I was saying at the beginning of this discourse. Well then, I affirm confidently, yet with fear and awe, that we ourselves are that house, that temple, that city, that spouse. We are all these, I repeat, but in the heart of God and by His gracious condescension, not through any merit of our own. We must not usurp what belongs to God, “so that man may no more presume to magnify himself upon earth ”’ (Ps. x., juxta H. 18), otherwise God will make us descend to our own level, since He humbles such as exalt

ON THE HOUSE OF GOD 427 themselves (Luke xiv. 11). But if through silly pride we refuse to be saved “ freely by His grace,” we shall not be deemed worthy of salvation at all. For by dissembling our misery we exclude mercy, by presuming on our merits we leave no room for grace. On the other hand, the humble acknowledgment of our wretchedness draws down upon us the compassion of God. It is only when we humble ourselves in this manner that He will “ feed us in famine ” (Ps. xxxii. 19), like a rich father of a family, so that we shall appear under His care to abound with bread (Luke xv. 17). Thus shall we become His house, as it were, His house which is never in wani of the necessaries of life. But remember that He has declared His house to be a house of prayer (Matt. xxi. 13): which admirably accords with the testimony of the Prophet where he says that God “ will feed us—in prayer, doubtless—with the bread of tears and give us for our drink tears in measure ” (Ps. Ixxix. 6). Remember too that according to the same Prophet —as I have also mentioned before—“ holiness becometh ” the house of the Lord (Ps. xcii. 5), so that the purity of continence may accompany the tears of penitence, and what was already the house of God may thus be changed into His temple. ‘‘ Be ye holy because I am holy” saith the Lord (Lev. xi. 44). And the Apostle asks, “ Know you not that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? ” Adding, ‘‘ But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy ” (x Cor. ii. 16, 17).

But think you we shall even then have done enough when we have attained to this holiness? No, my brethren, for peace also is necessary to us. So the Apostle assures us where he says, ‘‘ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God ” (Heb. xii. 14). It is peace that ‘‘ maketh men of one manner to dwell together as brothers ” (Ps. lxvii. 7), thus erecting for our King, the true Prince of Peace, a new city, which is also named Jerusalem, that is to say, “‘ the vision of peace.” For where a multitude of men are gathered together without any compact of peace, without the observance of common laws, without discipline, government, and a ruling head: there we have not a people but a mob, not a city but disorder : it is an image of Babylon, that is, of confusion, but bears no resemblance to Jerusalem.

But how can we suppose it possible for so great a Monarch to be transformed into a Bridegroom and for His city to assume the character of His bride? My brethren, the transformation is accomplished by that power to which nothing is impossible, I mean charity, which is “‘ strong as death ” (Cant. viii. 6). What wonder is it that love should lift ker up, seeing that it has already brought Him down? We must not here contemplate ourselves under that first and humiliating aspect in which, as I have said, our nature can be considered; here we are rather called upon to exercise the magnanimity of faith. For these are the words of the Lord Himself, ‘‘ I have espoused thee to Me in faith I have espoused thee to Me in judgment and in justice —God’s justice, understand, not thine—I have espoused thee to Me in mercy and in commiserations ” (Osee ii. 19, 20). If then thy Lord has not acted towards thee as a bridegroom, if He has not loved thee as a bridegroom, if He has not been jealous of thee with the jealousy of a bridegroom: refuse to be persuaded that thou art in truth His bride.

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Consequently, my brethren, if by our abundant sup-plies of spiritual bread we are proved to be the house of the great Father of the family, if the possession of sanctity shows us to be the temple of God, if peaceful participation of a common life gives us the character of a holy city, if fervent love marks us out as the bride of the Immortal Bridegroom: then I believe I need have no hesitation in affirming this to be our own solemnity. And be not surprised that this festival is observed on earth, since it is observed also in heaven. For if, as Truth has said—and which therefore must

= be true—“ there is joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance ” (Luke xv. 7), joy even to the angels of God, we cannot doubt that to-day there is manifold joy amongst the blessed spirits above, over the conversion of so many sinners. Do you desire to hear something still more astonishing ? Listen: “‘ The joy of the Lord is our strength ” (2 Esd. viii. 10). Therefore, dearest brethren, let us rejoice with the angels, let us rejoice with the Lord, and let us spend this festival in returning thanks to God : because the more our own it is the more devoutly ought we to keep it.

Footnotes

1. Cf. Sermons xxxi. and lxxvi. on the Canticle of Canticles, Il. 28 ↩

2. “Humility thinks it can do nothing, owing to its knowledge of the poverty and misery which are in us; on the contrary, generosity makes us say with St. Paul, ‘I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me.’ Humility makes us distrust ourselves; and generosity makes us trust in God. You see, then, that these two virtues of humility and generosity are so united that they never are and never can be separated. There are persons who amuse themselves with a false and foolish humility which prevents them from looking at the good which God has placed in them. They are very wrong. For the good things which God has given us ought to be recognised, esteemed, and greatly honoured, and not held in the same low esteem as those other things which are in us and of us. . . . For the saying of the philosophers, ‘ know thyself,’ must be understood, not only of the knowledge of our misery and vileness, but also of that of the excellence and dignity of our souls, which are capable of being united to the Divinity by His divine goodness, which has given us a kind of instinct, making us always tend and aspire to this union wherein consists all our happiness.”—St. Francis of Sales, Conferences, PP. 69, 70. ↩

3. St. Bernard read Apoc. xxi. 2: ‘‘ Ego Joannes vidi sanctam civitatem, Jerusalem novam descendentem de coelo, a Deo paratam,” not as we have it punctuated now : “ descendentem ↩

4. Cf. Treatise on Consideration, p. 42, note (Mount Melleray Translation.) ↩

5. That he was an “adversary ’’ or opponent of God’s designs was due to his corrupted human nature.—(Translator.) ↩