Sermon LII. [CII. Ben.]
On the words of the gospel, Luke x. 16, "He that rejecteth you rejecteth
me."
1. What our Lord Jesus Christ at that that time spake to His disciples
was put in writing, and prepared for us to hear. And so we have heard His
words. For what profit would it be to us if He were seen, and were not
heard? And now it is no hurt, that He is not seen, and yet is heard. He
saith then, "He that despiseth you, despiseth Me." If to the Apostles only
He said, "He that despiseth you, despiseth Me;" do ye despise us. But if
His word reach to us, and He hath called us, and set us in their place,
see that ye despise not us, lest the wrong ye shall do unto us reach to
Him. For if ye fear not us, fear Him who said, "He that despiseth you,
despiseth Me." But why do we, who are unwilling to be despised by you,
speak to you, except that we may have joy of your good conversation? Let
your good works be the solace of our perils. Live well, that ye may not
die ill.
2. And in these words which I have spoken, "Live well, that ye may not
die ill," do not think of those who it may be have lived evilly, and have
died in their beds; and the pomp of their funeral has been displayed, and
they have been laid in costly coffins, in sepulchres prepared with exceeding
beauty and labour; nor because each one of you perhaps is saying, "I should
wish so to die," do ye think that it is a vain thing I have chosen to say;
when I said that I would that ye should live well, that ye may not die
ill? On the other hand, the case of some one, it may be, occurs to you,
who has both lived well, and according to the opinion of men has died ill;
perhaps he has died from the fall of a house, has died by shipwreck, has
died by wild beasts; and each carnal man is saying in his heart, "What
good is it to live well? See this man has so lived, and in this wise has
he died." "Return therefore to your heart;" and if ye are faithful ones,
ye will find Christ there; He speaketh to you there. For I cry aloud, but
He in silence giveth more instruction. I speak by the sound of words; He
speaketh within by the fear of the thoughts. May He then engraft my word
in your heart; for I have taken upon me to say, "Live well, that ye may
not die ill." See, for faith is in your hearts, and Christ dwelleth there,
and it is His place to teach what I desire to give utterance to.
3. Remember that rich and that poor man in the Gospel; "the rich man
clothed in purple and fine linen," and crammed with daily feastings; and
the poor man "lying before" the rich man's gate, hungry, and looking for
"the crumbs from his table, full of sores, licked" by "dogs." Remember,
I say; and whence do ye remember, but because Christ is there in your hearts?
Tell me, what have ye asked Him within, and what hath He answered. For
he goes on to say, "It came to pass that that poor man died, and was t
carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and
was buried in hell. And being in torments he lifted up his eyes, and saw
Lazarus resting in Abraham's bosom. Then he cried, saying, Father Abraham,
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip his finger in water,
and drop it on my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." Proud in the
world, in hell a beggar! For that poor man did attain to his crumbs; but
the other attained not to the drop of water. Of these two then, tell me,
which died well, and which died ill? Do not ask the eyes, return to the
heart. For if ye ask the eyes, they will answer you falsely. For vastly
splendid, and disguised with much worldly show, are the honours which could
be paid to that rich man in his death. What crowds of mourning slaves and
handmaids might there be! what pompous train of dependants! what splendid
funeral obsequies! what costliness of burial! I suppose he was overwhelmed
with spices. What shall we say then, Brethren, that he died well, or died
ill? If ye ask the eyes, he died very well; if ye enquire of your inner
Master, he died most ill.
4. If then those haughty men who keep their own goods to themselves,
and bestow none of them upon the poor, die in this way; how do they die
who plunder the goods of others? Therefore have I said with true reason,
"Live well, that ye die not ill," that ye die not as that rich man died.
Nothing proves an evil death, but the time after death. On the other hand,
look at that poor man; not with the eyes, for so ye will err; let faith
look at him, let the heart see him. Set him before your eyes lying on the
ground, "full of sores, and the dogs" coming and "licking his sores." Now
when ye recall him before your eyes in this guise, immediately ye loathe
him, ye turn your face away, and stop your nostrils: see then with the
eyes of the heart. "He died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's
bosom." The rich man's family was seen bewailing him; the Angels were not
seen rejoicing. What then did Abraham answer the rich man? "Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivedst good things." Thou thoughtest nothing
good, but what thou hadst in this life. Thou hast received them; but those
days are past; and thou hast lost the whole; and thou hast remained behind
to be tormented in hell."
5. Opportune then was it, Brethren, that those words should be spoken
to you. Have respect unto the poor, whether lying on the ground, or walking;
have respect unto the poor, do good works. Ye who are wont so to do, do
it still and ye who are not wont to do so, do it now. Let the number of
those who do good works increase; since the number of the faithful increases
also. Ye do not yet see how great is the good ye do; for so the husbandman
also sees not the crop when he sows, but he trusts the ground. Wherefore
dost thou not trust God? Our harvest will come. Think, that we are busy
in travail now, are working in travail now, but sure to receive, as it
is written, "They went on and wept as they cast their seed; but they shall
surely come with exultation, bringing their sheaves with them."
Sermon LVII. [CVII. Ben.]
On the words of the gospel, Luke xii. 15, "And he said unto them,
take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness."
1. I Doubt not but that ye who fear God, do hear His word with awe,
and execute it with cheerfulness; that what He hath promised, ye may at
present hope for, hereafter receive. We have just now heard the Lord Christ
Jesus, the Son of God, giving us a precept. The Truth, who neither deceiveth,
nor is deceived, hath given us a precept; let us hear, fear, beware. What
is this precept then: "I say unto you, Beware of all covetousness"? What
is, "of all covetousness"? What is, "of all"? Why did He add, "of all"?
For He might have spoken thus "Beware of covetousness" It suited Him to
add, "of all; and to say, "Beware of all covetousness."
2. Why He said this, the occasion as it were out of which these words
arose, is shown to us in the holy Gospel. A certain man appealed to Him
against his brother, who had taken away all his patrimony, and gave not
back his proper portion to his brother. Ye see then how good a case this
appellant had. For he was not seeking to take by violence another's, but
was seeking only for his own which had been left him by his parents; these
was he demanding back by his appeal to the judgment of the Lord. He had
an unrighteous brother; but against an unrighteous brother had he found
a righteous Judge. Ought he then in so good a cause to lose that opportunity?
Or who would say to his brother, "Restore to thy brother his portion,"
if Christ would not say it? Would that judge be likely to say it, whom perhaps
his richer and extortionate brother might corrupt by a bribe? Forlorn then
as he was, and despoiled of his father's goods, when he had found such
and so great a Judge he goes up to Him, he appeals to, he beseeches Him,
he lays his cause before Him in few words. For what occasion was there
to set forth his cause at length, when he was speaking to Him who could
even see the heart? "Master," he says, "speak to my brother, that he divide
the inheritance with me." The Lord did not say to him, "Let thy brother
come." No, He neither sent for him to be present, nor in his presence did
He say to him who had appealed to Him, "Prove what thou wast saying." He
asked for half an inheritance, he asked for half an inheritance on earth;
the Lord offered him a whole inheritance in heaven. The Lord gave more
than asked for.
3. "Speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me." Just
case, short case. But let us hear Him who at once gives judgment and instruction.
"Man," He saith. "O man;" for seeing thou valuest this inheritance so highly,
what art thou but a man? He wished to make him something more than man.
What more did He wish to make him, from whom He wished to take covetousness
away? What more did He wish to make him? I will tell you, "I have said,
Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High." Lo, what He
wished to make him, to reckon him that hath no covetousness among the "gods."
"Man, who made Me a divider among you?" So the Apostle Paul His servant,
when he said, "I beseech you, brethren, that ye all speak the same thing,
and that there be no schisms among you," was unwilling to be a divider.
And afterwards he thus admonished them who were running after his name,
and dividing Christ: "Every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos,
and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified
for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" Judge then, how wicked
are those men, who would have Him to be divided, who would not be a divider.
"Who," saith He, "hath made Me a divider among you?"
4. Thou hast petitioned for a kindness; hear counsel. "I say unto you,
Beware of all covetousness." "Perhaps," he would say, "thou wouldest call
him covetous and greedy, if he were seeking another's goods; but I say,
seek not even thine own greedily or covetously." This is "Of all, beware
of all covetousness." A heavy burden this! If by any chance this burden
be imposed on them that are weak; let Him be sought unto, that He who imposes
it, may vouchsafe to give us strength. For it is not a thing to be lightly
regarded, my Brethren, when our Lord, our Redeemer, our Saviour, who died
for us, who gave His Own Blood as our ransom, to redeem us, our Advocate
and Judge; it is no light matter when He saith, "Beware." He knoweth well
how great the evil is; we know it not, let us believe Him. "Beware," saith
He. Wherefore? of what? "of all covetousness." I am but keeping what is
mine own, I am not taking away another's; "Beware of all covetousness."
Not only is he covetous, who plunders the goods of others; but he is covetous
too, who greedily keeps his own. But if he is so blamed who greedily keeps
his own; how is he condemned who plunders what is another's! "Beware,"
He saith, "of all covetousness: For a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth." He that stores up great abundance,
how much does he take therefrom to live? When he has taken it, and in a
way separated in thought sufficient to live upon from it, let him consider
for whom the rest remains; test haply when thou keepest wherewith to live,
thou art gathering only wherewith to die. Behold Christ, behold truth,
behold severity. "Beware," saith truth: "Beware," saith severity. If thou
love not the truth, fear severity. "A man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth." Believe Him, He doth not
deceive thee. On the other hand, thou sayest, "Yea, `a man's life' does
`consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses.'" He doth not
deceive thee; thou deceivest thyself.
5. Out of this occasion then, when that appellant was seeking his own
portion, not desiring to plunder another's, arose that sentence of the
Lord, wherein He said not, "Beware of covetousness;" but added, "of all
covetousness." Nor was this all: He giveth another example of a certain
rich man, "whose ground had turned out well." "There was," He saith, "a
certain rich man, whose ground had turned out well." What is, "had turned
out well"? The ground which he possessed had brought forth a great produce.
How great? So that he could not find where to bestow it: suddenly, through
his abundance he became straitened-this old covetous man. For how many
years had already passed away, and yet those barns had been enough? So
great then was the produce, that the accustomed places were not sufficient.
And the wretched man sought counsel, not as to how he should lay the additional
produce out, but how he should store it up; and in thinking he discovered
an expedient. He seemed as it were wise in his own eyes, by the discovery
of this expedient. Knowingly did he think of it, wisely hit upon it. What
was this he wisely hit upon? "I will destroy," he says, "my" old "barns,
and will build new ones greater, and will fill them; and I will say to
my soul." What wilt thou say to thy soul? "Soul, thou hast much goods laid
up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry." This did the
wise discoverer of this expedient say to his soul.
6. "And God," who doth not disdain to speak even with fools, "said unto
him." Some of you may peradventure say, And how did God speak with a fool?
O, my Brethren, with how many fools does He speak here, when the Gospel
is read! When it is read, are not they who hear and do not, fools? What
then did the Lord say? For he, I repeat, thought himself wise by the discovery
of his expedient. "Thou fool," He saith; "Thou fool," who seemest wise unto
thyself; "Thou fool," who hast said to thy soul, "Thou hast much goods
laid up for many years: to-day is thy soul required of thee!" Thy soul
to which thou hast said, "Thou hast much goods," to-day is "required,"
and hath no good at all. Let it then despise these goods, and be herself
good, that when she is "required," she may depart in assured hope. For
what is more perverse than a man who wishes to have "much goods," and does
not wish to be good himself? Unworthy art thou to have them, who dost not
wish to be what thou dost wish to have. For dost thou wish to have a bad
country house? No indeed, but a good one. Or a bad wife? No, but a good
one. Or a bad hood? Or even a bad shoe? And Why a bad soul only? He did
not in this place say to this fool who was thinking on vain things, building
barns, and who had no regard to the wants of the poor; He did not say to
him, "To-day shall thy soul be hurried away to hell:" He said no such thing
as this, but "is required of thee." "I do not tell thee whither thy soul
shall go; yet hence, where thou art laying up for it such store of things,
must it depart, whether thou wilt or no." Lo, "thou fool," thou hast thought
to fill thy new and greater barns, as if there was nothing to be done with
what thou hast.
7. But peradventure he was not yet a Christian. Let us hear then, Brethren,
to whom as believers the Gospel is read, by whom He who spake these things,
is worshipped, whose mark is borne by us on our forehead, and is held in
the heart. For of very great concernment is it where a man hath the mark
of Christ, whether in the forehead, or both in the forehead and the heart.
Ye have heard to-day the words of the holy prophet Ezekiel, how that before
God sent one to destroy the ungodly people, He first sent one to mark them,
and said to him, "Go and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that
sigh and moan for the sins of my people that are done in the midst of them."
He did not say, "which are done without them;" but "in the midst of them."
Yet they "sigh and moan;" and therefore are they "marked on the forehead:"
in the forehead of the inner man, not the outer. For there is a forehead
in the face, there is a forehead in the conscience. So it happens that
when the inner forehead is stricken, the outer grows red; either red with
shame, or pale with fear. So then there is a forehead of the inner man.
There were they "marked" that they might not be destroyed; because though
they did not correct the sins which were "done in the midst of them," yet
they sorrowed for them, and by that very sorrow separated themselves; and
though separated in God's sight, they were mixed with them in the eyes
of men. They are "marked" secretly, are not hurt openly. Afterwards the
Destroyer is sent, and to him it is said, "Go, lay waste, spare neither
young nor old, male nor female, but come not near those who have the mark
on their forehead." How great security is granted to you, my Brethren,
who among this people are sighing, and moaning for the iniquities which
are being done in the midst of you, and who do them not!
8. But that ye may not commit iniquities, "beware of all covetousness."
I will tell you in its full extent, what is "of all covetousness." In matter
of lust he is covetous, whom his own wife suffices not. And idolatry itself
is called covetousness; because again in matter of divine worship he is
covetous, whom the one and true God suffices not. What but the covetous
soul makes for itself many gods? What but the covetous soul makes to itself
false martyrs? "Beware of all covetousness." Lo, thou lovest thine own
goods, and dost boast thyself in that thou seekest not the goods of others;
see what evil thou doest in not hearing Christ, who saith, "Beware of all
covetousness." See thou dost love thine own goods, thou dost not take away
the goods of others; thou hast the fruits of thy labour, they are justly
thine; thou hast been left an heir, some one whose good graces thou hast
attained has given it to thee; thou hast been on the sea, and in its perils,
hast committed no fraud, hast sworn no lie, hast acquired what it hath
pleased God thou shouldest; and thou art keeping it greedily as in a good
conscience, because thou dost not possess it from evil sources, and dost
not seek what is another's. Yet if thou give not heed to Him who hath said,
"Beware of all covetousness," hear how great evils thou wilt be ready to
do for thine own goods' sake. Lo, for example, it hath chanced to thee
to be made a judge. Thou wilt not be corrupted, because thou dost not seek
the goods of others; no one giveth thee a bribe and says, "Give judgment
against my adversary." This be far from thee, a man, who seekest not the
things of others, how couldest thou be persuaded to do this? Yet see what
evil thou wilt be ready to do for thine own goods' sake. Peradventure he
that wishes thee to judge evilly, and pronounce sentence for him against
his adversary is a powerful man, and able to bring up false accusation
against thee, that thou mayest lose what thou hast. Thou dost reflect,
and think upon his power, think of thine own goods thou art keeping, which
thou dost love: not which thou hast possessed, but in whose power rather
thou art thyself unhappily fixed. This thy bird-lime, by reason of which
thou hast not the wings of virtue free, thou dost look to; and thou sayest
within thine own self, "I am offending this man, he has much influence
in the world; he will suggest evil accusations against me, and I shall
be outlawed, and lose all I have." Thus thou wilt give unrighteous judgment,
not when thou seekest another's, but when thou keepest thine own.
9. Give me a man who has given ear to Christ, give me a man who has
heard with fear "Beware of all covetousness;" and let him not say to me,
"I am a poor man, a plebeian of mean estate, one of the common people,
how can I hope ever to be a judge? I am in no fear of this temptation,
the peril of which thou hast placed before mine eyes." Yet lo, even this
poor man I will tell what he ought to fear. Some rich and powerful person
calls thee to give false witness for him. What wilt thou be doing now?
Tell me. Thou hast a good little property of thine own; thou hast laboured
for it, hast acquired, and kept it. That person requires of thee; "Give
false witness for me, and I will give thee so and so much." Thou who seekest
not the things of others, sayest, "That be far from me: I do not seek for
what it has not pleased God to give me, I will not receive it; depart from
me." "Hast thou no wish to receive what I give? I will take away what thou
hast already." See now prove thyself, question now thine own self. Why
dost thou look at me? Look inward on thine own self, look at thine own
self within, examine thine own self within; sit down before thine own self,
and summon thine own self before thee, and stretch thyself upon the rack
of God's commandment, and torment thyself with His fear, and deal not softly
with thyself; answer thine own self. Lo, if any one were to threaten thee
with this, what wouldest thou do? "I will take away from thee what with
so great labour thou hast acquired, if thou wilt not give false witness
for me." Give him that; "Beware of all covetousness." "O my servant," He
will say to thee, "whom I have redeemed and made free, whom from a servant
I have adopted to be a brother, whom I have set as a member in My Body,
give ear to Me: He may take away what thou hast acquired, Me he shall not
take away from thee. Art thou keeping thine own goods, that thou mayest
not perish? What, have I not said unto thee, `Beware of all covetousness'?"
10. Lo, thou art in confusion, tossed to and fro; thy heart as a ship
is shaken about by tempests. Christ is asleep: awake Him, that sleepeth,
and thou shalt be exposed no more to the raging of the storm. Awake Him,
who was pleased to have nothing here, and thou hast all, who came even
to the Cross for thee, whose "Bones" as He was naked and hanging "were
numbered" by them that mocked Him; and "beware of all covetousness." Covetousness
of money is not all; "beware of covetousness" of life. A dreadful covetousness,
covetousness much to be feared. Sometimes a man will despise what he has,
and say, "I will not give false witness; I will not. You tell me, I will
take away what thou hast. Take away what I have; you do not take away what
I have within. For he was not left a poor man, who said, `The Lord gave,
the Lord hath taken away; it is done as it pleased the Lord; blessed' therefore
`be the Name of the Lord. Naked came I out of my mother's womb, naked shall
I return to the earth.' Naked outwardly, well-clothed within. Naked as
regards these rags, these corruptible rags outwardly, clothed within. With
what? `Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.'" But what if he
say to thee, when thou hast despised the things which thou possessest,
what if he say to thee, "I will kill thee"? If thou have given ear to Christ,
answer him, "Wilt Thou kill me? Better that thou shouldest kill my body,
than that I by a false tongue should kill my soul! What canst thou do to
me? Thou wilt kill my body; my soul will depart at liberty, to receive
again at the end of the world even this very body she hath despised. What
canst thou do to me then? Whereas if I should give false witness for thee,
with thy tongue do I kill myself; and not in my body do I kill myself;
`For the mouth that lieth killeth the soul.'" But peradventure thou dost
not say so. And why dost thou not say so? Thou wishest to live; thou wishest
to live longer than God hath appointed for thee? Dost thou then "beware
of all covetousness"? So long was it God's will that thou shouldest live,
till this person came to thee. It may he that he will kill thee, to make
a martyr of thee. Entertain then no undue desire of life; and so thou wilt
not have an eternity of death. Ye see how that covetousness everywhere,
when we wish for more than is necessary, causes us to sin. Beware we of
all covetousness, if we would enjoy eternal wisdom.
