Sermon XVII. On the Coming and Going of the Spirit and on Satan's Envy of the Human Race

"Thy name is as oil poured out."

Do you think, my brethren, that we have now, in our efforts to fathom the admirable mysteries concealed in our text, "Thy name is as oil poured out," penetrated far enough into the sanctuary of God? Or do you wish that we continue our scrutiny, if aught still remains unexamined, and venture to follow the Spirit even into the Holy of Holies? For this Spirit "searcher*" not alone "the hearts and reins" of men, but also "the deep things of God." Securely may we follow Him, V whithersoever He goeth," in things divine or in things human. Only let us pray Him to guard our hearts and our minds, lest haply we should think Him to be with us when He is away, and mistaking our own spirit for Him, so wander from our course. He comes and goes as He wills, and none can easily know "whence He cometh or whither He goeth." Such ignorance does not, perhaps, involve any risk to our salvation. But inability to recognise His coming and His going would manifestly be attended with the gravest peril. For when we do not observe most carefully these vicissitudes of grace, these advents and withdrawals of the Holy Ghost, designed in His providence for our good, the result is that He is neither desired when absent, nor glorified when present. He retires from the soul in order to excite us to seek Him the more eagerly. But how can this be, if we are unaware of His departure? Again, He graciously returns to console us. But how is it possible to welcome Him with the honour due to His Majesty, unless His arrival attracts our attention? He, therefore, that is insensible to His going, lies open to the seduction of the enemy. He that observes not His coming can feel no gratitude for the gracious visitation.

Eliseus of old asked a favour of his master, the Prophet Elias, when he perceived that his (Elias's) departure was at hand. But, as you know, he did not obtain his request except on condition that he should see the man of God when the latter was being taken up from him to heaven. This happened to them in figure, and has been recorded for our instruction. The example of Eliseus teaches and admonishes us to watch with solicitude over the work of our salvation, which the Holy Spirit operates within us unceasingly, with the marvellous skill and sweetness of His own divine art. My brethren, let us so attend to this gracious Spirit, Who is our Heavenly Mentor and "teacheth (us) all things" necessary, that He can never be taken away from us, without our knowledge, if we do not wish to be deprived of His double gift.¹ Let Him never, therefore, at His coming, find us unprepared, but always on the watch, with faces uplifted and hands stretched forth to receive a rich benediction from the Lord. What kind of souls does He condescend to visit? Such, we are told, as are "like to men who wait for their Lord, when He shall return from the wedding." And surely this Lord never returns empty-handed from that heavenly table which is laden with such an abundance of good things. We must watch, then, we must be on the alert at all times, because we know not at what hour the Spirit will come, nor at what hour He will again take His departure. He goes and He returns; and the soul that kept her feet whilst supported by Him, must of necessity fall, when He withdraws His Hand. But, though falling, she "shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth His Hand under" her again. Such alternations of fervour and abandonment never cease in those who are spiritual, or rather the Holy Ghost never ceases from "visiting early in the morning, and suddenly proving" those whom He designs to advance in spirituality. "The just man shall fall seven times, and shall rise again." Yet so, if he falls in the day, that is to say, if he sees himself falling and knows that he has fallen, and thus, desiring to rise, may seek the Hand of his Supporter, and say, "O Lord, in Thy favour, Thou gavest strength to my beauty; Thou turnedst away Thy Face from me and I became troubled."

It is one thing, my brethren, to doubt the truth indeliberately, which is inevitable with us when the Spirit ceases to illuminate our souls by His inspirations; but it is quite another thing to embrace voluntarily what is false. This latter misfortune we may avoid by not remaining in ignorance of our own ignorance, so that we also may say, "And if I have been ignorant of anything, my ignorance is with me," viz., "is known to me." These, my brethren, are the words of holy Job. Do you not recognise them? Error and doubt are the two evil daughters of an evil mother, ignorance. Error is of the two the more wretched, doubt the more deserving of compassion. The former state is the more pernicious, the latter the more painful. But at the word of the Spirit both disappear, and there succeeds to them not simply truth, but the certain assurance of truth. For the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of truth, to which error is contrary. He is also the Spirit of wisdom, being the "Brightness of eternal life," "reaching everywhere by reason of His purity" and admitting nothing of the obscurity that belongs to error and ignorance. When He ceases to speak to us, we must be on our guard, if not against distressing doubt, which we cannot avoid, at all events against detestable error. In a state of uncertainty, there is a very wide difference between holding as probable this or that opinion, and rashly asserting what one has no real knowledge of. Therefore, either let the Holy Spirit never cease to commune with us, which, of course, depends entirely on His own good pleasure; or if He is pleased sometimes to remain silent, let Him at least give us warning of this, and so speak to us still by His silence. Otherwise, mistakenly supposing that He continues to lead us, we shall, with fatal security, follow, instead of Him, our own deluding spirit. If, then, it is His good pleasure to leave us sometimes in the perplexity of doubt, let Him not, at any rate, ever abandon us to the deception of error. There are some, my brethren, who say what is false, but sincerely and in good faith, and these, consequently, are not guilty of falsehood. And some there are who affirm the truth which they know not, and these are really liars. The former do not assert that to be a fact which is not, but simply that they believe what they really do believe, and so they speak the truth; although what they believe is not objectively true. Whereas, the latter, by pretending to be certain when they are not certain, speak falsely even when that which they say happens to be true.²

Having premised this much for the instruction of such as are inexperienced in these matters, I will now follow the Spirit, Who, as I trust, precedes to guide me. Yet I will myself, as far as I can, observe the same precautions which I have recommended to you. I will endeavour to practise what I preach. Otherwise to me also it may be said, "Thou that teachest others, teachest not thyself." Doubtless, it is necessary to distinguish between what is evident and what is uncertain, so that the former may not be called in question, nor the latter boldly maintained. But even for this, we must depend upon the assistance of the Holy Ghost, for our own efforts are insufficient. What man knows, for instance, whether the judgment passed by God upon the case of the Jew and the Gentile, as set forth in an earlier discourse (the third, I think, before this) was not preceded by similar judgment, pronounced even in heaven?

My meaning is this. Do you not suppose that Lucifer, who arose in the morning, and with impatient ambition mounted on high — do you not think that he also, before he was cast down into eternal darkness, envied the human race the oil poured out upon it, and in anger began to murmur, saying within himself, "To what purpose is this waste? "I do not claim that this is from the Spirit. But I do assert that it is not contradicted by the Spirit. Hence, as to its truth or falsity, I am simply ignorant. However, what I say is not impossible, and there is no reason why it should seem incredible, namely, that a spiritual creature, full of wisdom, and of surpassing beauty, might have fore-known that men were to be created and advanced to equal glory with himself. But if he did foreknow this, it was doubtless because he read it in the Word of God.³ Then, in his malice, he waxed envious, and designed to have as his subjects those whom he scorned to recognise as his equals. "They are weaker than I," he said to himself; "they are of an inferior nature. It is not fitting, therefore, that they should be my fellow-citizens, my compeers in glory." Perchance, that proud ascent of his, and that sitting down in the manner of a master, manifested his wicked design. ' I will ascend into heaven," he said, "I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north." Thus he hoped to become like to the Most High; so that, just as the Lord God, seated above the Cherubim, governed the whole angelic creation, he himself, in the same way, throned on high, would rule the race of man. But God forbid that he should have his wish! "He hath devised iniquity on his bed." But let his "iniquity lie to itself." As for us, we will recognise no judge but our Maker. Not the devil, but the Lord "shall judge the world," and "He is our God for ever and ever, He shall rule us for evermore."

Therefore, my brethren, that proud spirit "conceived sorrow," that is, envious rancour, in heaven, and in paradise, where he seduced our first parents, he "brought forth iniquity," the daughter of malice, the mother of death and of misery. And pride is the mother of all. For, although it was "by the envy of the devil that death came into the world," nevertheless it is written that "pride is the beginning of all sin." But "what hath pride profit eth" Lucifer? Nothing at all, for in spite of his malicious designs, "Thou, O Lord, art among us, and Thy name is called upon us." Hence Thy "purchased people," hence "the Church of the redeemed" exclaims, "'Thy name is as oil poured out.' Even when, by sin, I deserve to be cast forth, Thou dost pour this oil of mercy and pardon after me and over me, because ' when Thou art angry Thou wilt remember mercy.'" Nevertheless, Satan has obtained an empire over the sons of pride, being made prince of "this darkness," to the end that even pride itself should subserve the interests of the kingdom of humility. And thus, whilst his one temporal principality of darkness remains to him, such as it is, he is constantly helping to establish multitudes of the humble on exalted and eternal thrones. Surely a happy dispensation, that the proud oppressor of the humble should be thus unwittingly fashioning everlasting crowns for them, attacking all and conquered by all. For always and everywhere the Lord shall judge His people, "He shall save the children of the poor, and He shall humble the oppressor." Yes, in all places and at all times, He will defend His own, repel their enemies, "and will not leave the rod of sinners upon the lot of the just, that the just may not stretch forth their hands to iniquity." And the time will come when He shall at last, and completely, "destroy the bow and break the arms, and the shield He shall burn with fire." Thou, O most miserable one! hast fixed thy seat in the north, in the region of clouds and cold; and, lo! "the needy" are lifted up "from the dust," and "the poor from the dung-hill," "that they may sit with princes and hold the throne of glory," and that thou mayst grieve the more at beholding the fulfilment of the prophecy, "the poor and the needy shall praise Thy name."

Thanks to Thee, Father of the fatherless, and Defender of the orphans, "a curdled mountain, a fat mountain" has imparted to us its heat. "The heavens dropped (dew) at the presence of the God of Sinai." Oil has been poured out. Thy name has been spread abroad — the name which the enemy enviously begrudged to us, as he did us to it. That name, I say, has been spread abroad, extending even to the hearts and lips of little ones. For "out of the mouth of infants and sucklings" it has "perfected praise." Then, "the sinner shall see and shall be angry." But as his anger is implacable, so shall the fire be inextinguishable "which is prepared for the devil and his angels." "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." How Thou lovest me, O my God, my Love! how Thou lovest me! Everywhere Thou art mindful of me! Everywhere Thou are zealous for my salvation, not alone against the pride of men, but even against the pride of exalted angelic spirits! Both in heaven and on earth "Thou, O Lord, dost judge them that wrong me, dost overthrow them that fight against me." Everywhere Thou art my defence! Everywhere Thou art my support! Everywhere Thou dost appear at my right hand! For these things "in my life I will praise the Lord; I will sing to my God as long as 1 shall be." These are His works of power, these are "His wonders which He hath wrought." That is the first and the greatest of His judgments, which the Virgin Mary, the confidante of His secrets, revealed to me, when she said, "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble; He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away." "The second" of His judgments "is like unto this," and you have already heard it, viz., "that they who see not may see, and that they who see may become blind." In these two judgments let the poor man console himself, and let him sing, "I remembered, O Lord, Thy judgments of old, and I was comforted."

But we must now return to ourselves and examine our ways. And that we may do this sincerely, let us invoke the Spirit of truth. Let us recall Him out of the deep into which He has led us, that He may deign to guide us back again to ourselves, because without Him we can do nothing. Nor ought we to fear lest He should refuse to condescend to us. Rather we shall provoke His indignation by attempting anything whatever without His concurrence. For He is not "a spirit that goeth and returneth not," but He leads us forth and back again "from glory to glory" as being "the Spirit of the Lord," sometimes ravishing us unto His own divine light, sometimes tempering His influence upon us, and only "illuminating our darkness," so that, whether raised above ourselves, or left with ourselves, we may always be in light, always walk as "the sons of light." We have now, at length, come forth from the dim forest of allegories. It remains to seek out the moral meanings of our text. Our faith has been confirmed, let our conduct exhibit a corresponding improvement. Our minds have been instructed, let our morals show the result. "Understanding is good for all that do it," for those, namely, who direct their actions and their thoughts to the glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Footnotes

1. This double gift (Duplicatum munus) is apparently the twofold operation of the Holy Spirit which forms the subject of the following sermon. There is allusion to the "double spirit" promised as a parting gift to Eliseus, if he beheld his master Elias at the moment of his assumption. See 4 Kings xi. — (Translator.) ↩

2. That is to say, a lie consists essentially in speaking against one's belief — locutio contra mentem. Hence it would be a lie to speak as true what one mistakenly supposes to be false, whilst there would be no lie in saying what one sincerely but erroneously believes to be true. A statement is materially (objectively) true or false, according as it is or is not in conformity with fact. Formal (subjective) truth or falsity is the conformity or difformity between one's words and one's thoughts. St. Augustine considered that the intention to deceive belongs to the essence of a lie, but this is not generally admitted. — (Translator.) ↩

3. "Sed si praescivit, in Dei Verbo absque dubio vidit." The meaning of this seems to be that it was in the mystery of the Incarnation, foreshown to him, that Lucifer read the predestination of man to a supernatural glory equal to his own. Otherwise, it is not easy to see why the Saint should make special mention of the Word. — (Translator.) ↩