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| Chapter XXXIII. Of the fact that the precepts of the gospel are milder than those of the law.
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Chapter XXXIII.
Of the fact that the precepts of the gospel are milder
than those of the law.
Whoever therefore climbs
this height of evangelical perfection, is at once raised by the merits
of such virtue above every law, and disregarding as trivial all that is
commanded by Moses, recognizes that he is only subject to the grace of
the Saviour, by whose aid he knows that he attained to that most
exalted condition. Therefore sin has no dominion over him,
“because the love of God, which is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost which is given to us,”2222
shuts out all
care for everything else, and can neither
desire what is forbidden, or disregard what is commanded, as its whole
aim and all its desire is ever fixed on divine love, and to such an
extent is it not caught by the delights of worthless things, that it
actually does not take advantage of those things which are permitted.
But under the law, where lawful marriages are observed, although the
rovings of wantonness are restrained, and bound down to one woman
alone, yet the pricks of carnal lust cannot help being vigorous; and it
is hard for the fire, for which fuel is expressly supplied, to be thus
shut in within prearranged limits, so as not to spread further and burn
up anything it touches. As even if this objection occurs to it that it
is not allowed to be kindled beyond these limits, yet even while it is
kept in check, it is on fire because the will itself is in fault, and
its habit of carnal intercourse hurries it into too speedy excesses of
adultery. But those whom the grace of the Saviour has fired with the
holy love of chastity, so consume all the thorns of carnal desires in
the fire of the Lord’s love, that no dying embers of sin
interfere with the coldness of their purity. The servants of the law
then from the use of lawful things fall away to unlawful; the partakers
of grace while they disregard lawful things know nothing of unlawful
ones. But as sin is alive in one who loves marriage, so is it also in
one who is satisfied with merely paying his tithes and firstfruits.
For, while he is dawdling or careless, he is sure to sin in regard to
either their quality or quantity, or the daily distribution of them.
For as he is commanded unweariedly to minister to those in want of what
is his, although he may dispense it with the fullest faith and
devotion, yet it is hard for him not to fall often into the snares of
sin. But over those who have not set at naught the counsel of the Lord,
but who, disposing of all their property to the poor, take up their
cross and follow the bestower of grace, sin can have no dominion. For
no faithless anxiety for getting food will annoy him who piously
distributes and disperses his wealth already consecrated to Christ and
no longer regarded as his own; nor will any grudging hesitation take
away from the cheerfulness of his almsgiving, because without any
thought of his own needs or fear of his own food running short he is
distributing what has once for all been completely offered to God, and
is no longer regarded as his own, as he is sure that when he has
succeeded in stripping himself as he desires, he will be fed by God
much more than the birds of the air. On the other hand he who retains
his goods of this world, or, bound by the rules of the old law,
distributes the tithe of his produce, and his firstfruits, or a portion
of his income, although he may to a considerable degree quench the fire
of his sins by this dew of almsgiving, yet, however generously he gives
away his wealth, it is impossible for him altogether to rid himself of
the dominion of sin, unless perhaps by the grace of the Saviour,
together with his substance he gets rid of all love of possessing. In
the same way he cannot fail to be subject to the bloody sway of sin,
whoever chooses to pull out, as the law commands, an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth, or to hate his enemy, for while he desires by
retaliation in exchange to avenge an injury done to himself, and while
he cherishes bitter hatred against an enemy, he is sure always to be
inflamed with the passion of anger and rage. But whoever lives under
the light of the grace of the gospel, and overcomes evil by not
resisting it, but by bearing it, and does not hesitate of his own free
will to give to one who smites his right cheek, the other also, and to
one who wants to raise a lawsuit against him for his coat, gives his
cloak also, and who loves his enemies, and prays for those who slander
him, this man has broken the yoke of sin and burst its chains.
For he is not living under the law, which does not destroy the
seeds of sin (whence not without reason the Apostle says of it:
“There is a setting aside of the former commandment because of
the weakness and unprofitableness thereof: for the law brought nothing
to perfection;” and the Lord says by the prophet: “And I
gave them commands that were not good, and ordinances, whereby they
could not live”2223
, but under
grace which does not merely lop off the boughs of wickedness, but
actually tears up the very roots of an evil will.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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