Sermon XIV. The Church and the Synagogue

"Thy name is as oil poured out."

"In Judaea God is known: His name is great in Israel." "The (Gentile) people that walked in darkness have seen a great Light." That is, they saw the Light which shone in Judaea and in Israel, and they desired to "draw near and to be illuminated," so that they who "in times past were not a people might now be a people of God," and that for the future, "their place might be in peace," the one Corner-Stone uniting in Itself the two walls approaching from different directions. They derived confidence from the words of invitation which had already been spoken by the Holy Ghost through the Psalmist, "Rejoice, ye nations, with His people." Therefore, they wished to draw near; but the Synagogue forbade it, declaring that the Church of the Gentiles was unclean and unworthy, reproaching it with the filth of idolatry and with the blindness of ignorance. "On what merit dost thou presume?" asks the Jew; "Touch me not!" "But why?" replies the Gentile. "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? And if I am wanting in merit, He is not wanting in compassion. Is justice His only attribute? Nay, He is also merciful. O Lord, 4 let Thy tender mercies come unto me and I shall live.' ' Many, O Lord, are Thy mercies! Quicken me according to Thy judgment/ which is tempered with mercy." What will He do, the just and merciful Lord, whilst the Jew thus glories in the Law, applauds his own justice, disclaims any need of mercy, and despises such as confess this need; and the Gentile, on the contrary, acknowledging his sin, avows his unworthiness, deprecates justice, and appeals to mercy? What, I ask, will He do, the Judge, and such a Judge, in Whom judgment and compassion are both so inherent that the one is as inseparable from Him as the other? What can be more natural and reasonable for Him to do than to give to each of them that which he prayed for — judgment to the Jew and mercy to the Gentile? The Jew asks for judgment, well, then, let him have it. But let the Gentile, according to his prayer, glorify the mercy of God. And the judgment granted to the Jew is this, that he who contemns the compassionate justice of God, and wishes to establish his own — which, in truth, rather accuses than justifies — shall be abandoned to the oppression, not to the justification, of his own righteousness.

This Jewish justice comes from the Law, which has never conducted anyone to perfection. It is a yoke which neither the Jews "nor their fathers have ever been able to bear." But the Synagogue is strong. She has no liking for burdens that are light or for yokes that are sweet. The Jew is well, and has no need of the Physician, no need of the unction of the Spirit. "He trusted in" the Law: "let it now deliver him," if it can. But the Law which was given him has not the power to vivify. It rather kills, according to the Apostle, who says, "the letter killeth." The same is implied in the words of Christ, "Therefore I say unto you, you shall die in your sins." This, then, O Synagogue, is the judgment thou hast challenged on thy error. Blinded shalt thou be left, blinded and pertinacious, "until the fulness of the Gentiles — whom thou dost arrogantly contemn and enviously repel — shall come in," and shall acknowledge the "God Who is known in Judaea" and the name that is "great in Israel." It was lor this judgment Jesus "came into this world, that they who see not may see, and that they who see may become blind." Yet this "blindness hath happened in Israel in part" only, "for the Lord will not cast off His people" entirely. He will "reserve unto Himself as a seed" the apostles and the "multitude of believers who had but one heart and one soul." Neither "will He cast them off for ever," but will "save a remnant." Once more will He "receive Israel, His servant," and He will be "mindful of His mercy." So that not even in regard to them, in whom she now finds no room for herself, shall mercy desert her companion, justice. Did God treat the Jew as he deserved, assuredly there would be "judgment without mercy to him who doth not mercy." For Judaea, possessing much of the oil of the knowledge of God, like a miser, keeps it shut up in the vase. I, the Gentile, beg for some, and she neither "hath mercy nor lendeth." She alone must have worship, she alone must have knowledge, she alone must know "His great name." Nor is this desire for monopoly due to any zeal for her own glory, but rather to jealousy of me.

Therefore, do Thou, O Lord, "judge my judgment," and let Thy great name be magnified still more, and let the oil, which is already plentiful, be more abundantly multiplied. Let it increase, let it brim over, let it be poured abroad, let it overflow to the Gentiles, and let "all flesh" experience "the salvation of God." How can it be, as the ungrateful Jew would have it, that all the saving unction should remain in "the beard of Aaron"? It belongs not to the beard, but to the Head. And the Head is head, not only of the beard, but of the whole body as well. Let the beard receive the descending ointment first by all means, but not solely. Let it transmit to the inferior members what it derives from the Head. Let the heavenly oil descend, let it descend even to the breasts of the Church, which, with a hungry eagerness, does not disdain to squeeze it from the beard, until, saturated with the dew of grace, she joyously exclaims, to prove herself not ungrateful, "Thy name is as oil poured out." But let it, I pray, descend even lower, let it trickle down as far as "the skirt of his garment," that is, even unto me, who, though the lowest and the most unworthy of all, still am of "the garment." For even I, as "a little one in Christ," demand for myself, on the title of piety, a share of that oil from the breasts of mother Church, And should any man murmur, whose "eye is evil because the Lord is good," do Thou, O Lord, answer for me. "Let my judgment come forth from Thy Countenance," and not from Israel's haughty lips. Rather I should say, "answer for Thyself," and say to Thy calumniator — for he calumniates Thee because Thou dost benefit one so undeserving — say to him, therefore, "I will also give to this last even as to thee." The Pharisee is displeased. Yet why should he grumble? My title is the Judge's good will. Surely there can be no juster standard of merit, as certainly there can be no more generous measure of reward. "Or is it not lawful for Him to do what He willeth," in regard to that which is His own? It is a mercy to me, but no wrong to thee. "Take what is thine, and go thy way." If it is His good pleasure to save even me, what dost thou lose thereby?

Magnify thy merits as much as thou pleasest, and make much of thy labours. But "the mercy of the Lord is better than lives." I confess, I have not "borne the burden of the day and the heat." I am only bearing, according to the will of the Father of the family, a "sweet yoke" and a "light burden." I have been at work scarcely an hour; or, if longer, I have not felt it through excess of love. Let the Jew prove his own strength. As for me, I prefer to "prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God." From it I make good all that has been lost to me in work and time. The Jew relies on the articles of a formal agreement, I on the good pleasure of the Divine Will. "I believe and it shall not be reputed unto folly to me," for there is "life in His good will." It will reconcile to me the Father, it will restore to me the inheritance I have lost, and even with a more plentiful grace; for it will admit me to a participation in the ineffable delights and the delicious music, and the sweet singing, and the high feasting of God's exulting family. If my "elder brother," that is, the Jew, be indignant with me, and would rather eat a "kid" with his friends outside than the "fatted calf" with me in his Father's house, he shall receive this answer to his complaints: "It is fit that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again, he was lost and is found." Still does the Synagogue feast outside with her friends, the demons, who are well pleased to see her in her folly voraciously gorging herself with the kid of sin, and, in a manner, concealing and stowing it away in the stomach of her ignorance and stupidity. Meantime, despising the justice of God and anxious to establish her own, she proclaims that she has no sin, nor any need that the Fatted Calf, that is, Christ, should be slain for her sake; since, as she fancies, she has been cleansed and justified by the works of the Law. But now when the veil of the "letter that killeth" has been rent by the death of the crucified Word, the Church, under the impulse of the Spirit of liberty, rushes boldly into the sanctuary, into the holy of holies, obtains recognition from the Bridegroom, finds favour in His eyes, is given the place of her rival, becomes a Spouse, and supplants the Synagogue in the affection and embraces of the Beloved. Then, in fervour of spirit, clinging and closely united to Christ the Lord, Who distils and pours all over her "the oil of His gladness," in a measure greater than is given to "her fellows," she exclaims, "Thy name is as oil poured out." What wonder if she is anointed who clasps the "Anointed of the Lord"?

The Church, then, reposes inside, but as yet only the Church of the perfect. However, even for us there is hope. Therefore, "rejoicing in hope," let us, who are still imperfect, keep watch before the doors. Let none as yet lodge within, save the Bridegroom and His Bride, that they may enjoy their secret and mutual embraces, undisturbed by any clamour of carnal passions, by any tumult of sensible images. But let the throng of "young damsels" who cannot yet be free from such interior perturbations, abide without. Let them keep an eye on the door. Let them watch in confidence, knowing that to themselves is addressed what they read, "After her shall virgins be brought to the King, her neighbours shall be brought to Thee." And that each may know "of what spirit he is," by virgins I mean those souls which, betrothed to Christ before they could be denied by contact with the world, have persevered in fidelity to Him Whose spouses they became all the more happily the more early. The "neighbours" or "damsels" are they who were once "conformed to this world," who abandoned themselves to "the princes of this world," viz., to the foul demons, unto every kind of uncleanness, but who now, ashamed of the past, and putting on the likeness of the new man, are striving, with only the more diligence because so late, to purify themselves from the stains of their former sinfulness. Let both virgins and damsels go forward. Let them yield neither to faintness nor to fatigue, although they do not yet experience in themselves that feeling which would cause them also to exclaim with the Spouse, "Thy name is as oil poured out." For such young persons have not the courage to speak directly to the Bridegroom. Yet if they are only faithful in following the footsteps of their mistress, the Bride, they shall be permitted to enjoy at least the odour of the oil, and thus shall be stimulated to desire and to solicit still more precious favours.

I am not ashamed, my brethren, to acknowledge that I myself very often, and particularly in the beginning of my conversion, used to seek with a hard and frozen heart Him Whom my soul wished to love. For I could not yet love Him Who as yet had not been found. Or, at any rate, I could not love Him as much as I desired; and for this reason I sought Him, in order to love Him more, Whom certainly I should not have sought at all unless I already loved Him in some degree. Whilst, then, I sought Him in Whom my cold and languid spirit might find warmth and repose, nowhere did I meet anyone who could help me by dissolving the stiffening frost which held my interior faculties in bondage, and by restoring the pleasant spring of spiritual joy. Thus my soul grew daily more languid, and weary, and inert. Filled with disgust, I became sad almost to despair, and muttered within myself, "Who shall stand before the face of His cold?" Until on a sudden, perhaps at the word, perhaps at the sight of some spiritual and perfect man, occasionally even at the thought of one dead or absent, "the winds blew and the waters ran," and "my tears were my bread day and night" What is this but the odour exhaling from the unguent wherewith such a one was anointed? It could not be the ointment itself, inasmuch as it reached me only through a human medium. Hence, whilst rejoicing in the favour, I felt at the same time confounded and humiliated, because it was only a slight breath of the perfume, and not a bountiful unction that was vouchsafed me. My sense of smell was gratified, but not my sense of touch. I therefore knew that I was too unworthy for God to manifest His sweetness to me immediately. And if the same thing should happen again, I would indeed eagerly accept the favour bestowed and feel duly grateful. But grieving I should grieve that I had not deserved to receive it from God directly and, as the saying is, from hand to hand, though this I earnestly implored. I feel ashamed to be more affected at the thought of a man than at the thought of God. And then I cry out with tears, "When shall I come and appear before the face of God f" I suppose some of yourselves have had the same experience, and have it sometimes still. Herein what are we to understand except that either our pride is being humbled, or our humility protected, or fraternal charity fostered, or holy desires enkindled? One and the same thing is medicine for the sick and food for the convalescent; it gives strength to the weak and pleasure to the strong. One and the same food cures our distempers and preserves our health. It nourishes the body whilst pleasing the palate.

We must now go back to the words of the Spouse. But let us so hasten to hear what she says that we may also endeavour to understand her wisdom. This Spouse, as I have remarked already, is the Church. She it is to whom "much hath been forgiven because she loveth much." The reproaches addressed to her by her rival, even these she has turned to her advantage. Thus she has become more docile under correction, more patient in labour, more ardent in love, more prudent in self-restraint, more humble for the consciousness of her failings, more acceptable for her modesty, more prompt in obedience, more devout and fervent in returning thanks. And whilst the Synagogue, as has been said, murmurs and talks of her merits, and her labours, and "the burden of the day and the heat," the Church is only mindful of the divine munificence, saying, "His name is as oil poured out."

This surely '■' is the testimony of Israel to praise the name of the Lord." Not, indeed, of Israel "according to the flesh," but of Israel "according to the spirit. "For how could the carnal Israel speak in that way? Not that he lacks oil, but he has not his "oil poured out." Oil he has, but he keeps it concealed; he keeps it in his law-books rather than in his heart. He clings to the rind of the letter. He holds in his clutch a full vase. But it is sealed and he refuses to open it, even to anoint himself. O Israel, the spiritual unction is within, it is in the interior. Open and anoint thyself, and be no longer "a provoking house." Where is the use of having oil in thy vessels unless thou f eelest it also on thy members? What avails it to read and re-read the sweet name of the Saviour in thy books if the sweetness of His love and service has no place in thy life? His name is oil. Only pour it out and thou shalt experience its virtue, which is threefold. But since the Jew despises my appeal, do you, my brethren, -attend. I want to tell you what I have not yet explained, viz., why the name of the Beloved is compared to oil. There are, as far as I can see, three reasons. And forasmuch as He is called by many names, because none that is adequate can be found (He being ineffable) we have first to invoke the Holy Spirit that He would deign to reveal to us that one name out of the many, which He wishes to be understood in this place; for it has not been His good pleasure to consign it to writing. But this must await another discourse. For even if I had now the necessary knowledge, and neither you were burdened nor I fatigued, the lateness of the hour would still compel me to finish. Hold fast what I have to-day invited your attention to, so that to-morrow there may be no necessity to repeat. This is my purpose, this the task I am undertaking, namely, to show you why the Beloved's name is compared to oil, and which one of His names. And seeing that I cannot say anything of myself, I exhort you to pray that "a mouth and wisdom "may be given me, through His Spirit, by the Bridegroom, Jesus Chiist, Our Lord, to Whom be honour and glory for ever. Amen.