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| On Lent, I.
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Sermon
XXXIX.
On Lent, I.
I. The benefits of abstinence shown by
the example of the Hebrews.
In former days, when the people of the Hebrews and
all the tribes of Israel were oppressed for their scandalous sins by
the grievous tyranny of the Philistines, in order that they might be
able to overcome their enemies, as the sacred story declares, they
restored their powers of mind and body by the injunction of a
fast. For they understood that they had deserved that hard and
wretched subjection for their neglect of God’s commands, and evil ways, and that it was in
vain for them to strive with arms unless they had first withstood their
sin. Therefore abstaining from food and drink, they applied the
discipline of strict correction to themselves, and in order to conquer
their foes, first conquered the allurements of the palate in
themselves. And thus it came about that their fierce enemies and
cruel taskmasters yielded to them when fasting, whom they had held in
subjection when full. And so we too, dearly beloved, who are set
in the midst of many oppositions and conflicts, may be cured by a
little carefulness, if only we will use the same means. For our
case is almost the same as theirs, seeing that, as they were attacked
by foes in the flesh so are we chiefly by spiritual enemies. And
if we can conquer them by God’s grace
enabling us to correct our ways, the strength of our bodily enemies
also will give way before us, and by our self-amendment we shall weaken
those who were rendered formidable to us, not by their own merits but
by our shortcomings.
II. Use Lent to vanquish the enemy, and
be thus preparing for Eastertide.
Accordingly, dearly-beloved, that we may be able
to overcome all our enemies, let us seek Divine aid by the observance
of the heavenly bidding, knowing that we cannot otherwise prevail
against our adversaries, unless we prevail against our own
selves. For we have many encounters with our own selves:
the flesh desires one thing against the spirit, and the spirit another
thing against the flesh904
. And in this
disagreement, if the desires of the body be stronger, the mind will
disgracefully lose its proper dignity, and it will be most disastrous
for that to serve which ought to have ruled. But if the mind,
being subject to its Ruler, and delighting in gifts from above, shall
have trampled under foot the allurements of earthly pleasure, and shall
not have allowed sin to reign in its mortal body905
,
reason will maintain a well-ordered supremacy, and its strongholds no
strategy of spiritual wickednesses will cast down: because man
has then only true peace and true freedom when the flesh is ruled by
the judgment of the mind, and the mind is directed by the will of
God. And although this state of
preparedness, dearly-beloved, should always be maintained that our
ever-watchful foes may be overcome by unceasing diligence, yet now it
must be the more anxiously sought for and the more zealously cultivated
when the designs of our subtle foes themselves are conducted with
keener craft than ever. For knowing that the most hallowed days
of Lent are now at hand, in the keeping of which all past
slothfulnesses are chastised, all negligences alerted for, they direct
all the force of their spite on this one thing, that they who intend to
celebrate the Lord’s holy Passover may
be found unclean in some matter, and that cause of offence may arise
where propitiation ought to have been obtained.
III. Fights are necessary to prove our
Faith.
As we approach then, dearly-beloved, the beginning
of Lent, which is a time for the more careful serving of the
Lord, because we are, as it were, entering on
a kind of contest in good works, let us prepare our souls for fighting
with temptations, and understand that the more zealous we are for our
salvation, the more determined must be the assaults of our
opponents. But “stronger is He that is in us than He that
is against us906
,” and through
Him are we powerful in whose strength we rely: because it was for
this that the Lord
allowed Himself to be tempted by the
tempter, that we might be taught by His example as well as fortified by
His aid. For He conquered the adversary, as ye have
heard907
| 907 Ut audistis,
viz. in the Gospel for Quadragesima, or the First Sunday in Lent then
apparently as now S. Matt. iv.
1–11: cf. Serm.
XL. 3. | , by quotations from the law, not by actual
strength, that by this very thing He might do greater honour to man,
and inflict a greater punishment on the adversary by conquering the
enemy of the human race not now as God but as
Man. He fought then, therefore, that we too might fight
thereafter: He conquered that we too might likewise
conquer. For there are no works of power, dearly-beloved, without
the trials of temptations, there is no faith without proof, no contest
without a foe, no victory without conflict. This life of ours is
in the midst of snares, in the midst of battles; if we do not wish to
be deceived, we must watch: if we want to overcome, we must
fight. And therefore the most wise Solomon says, “My son in
approaching the service of God prepare thy
soul for temptation908
.” For
He being a man full of the wisdom of God, and
knowing that the pursuit of religion involves laborious struggles,
foreseeing too the danger of the fight, forewarned the intending
combatant; lest haply, if the tempter came upon him in his ignorance,
he might find him unready and wound him unawares.
IV. The Christian’s armour is both
for defence and for attack.
So, dearly-beloved, let us who instructed in
Divine learning come wittingly to the present contest and strife, hear
the Apostle when he says, “for our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of
this dark world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly
things909
,” and let us not forget that these our
enemies feel it is against them all is done that we strive to do for
our salvation, and that by the very fact of our seeking after some good
thing we are challenging our foes. For this is an old-standing
quarrel between us and them fostered by the devil’s ill-will, so
that they are tortured by our being justified, because they have fallen
from those good things to which we, God
helping us, are advancing. If, therefore, we are raised, they are
prostrated: if we are strengthened, they are weakened. Our
cures are their blows, because they are wounded by our wounds’
cure. “Stand, therefore,” dearly-beloved, as the
Apostle says, “having the loins of your mind girt in truth, and
your feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of peace, in all things
taking the shield of faith in which ye may be able to extinguish all
the fiery darts of the evil one, and put on the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God910
.”
See, dearly-beloved, with what mighty weapons, with what impregnable
defences we are armed by our Leader, who is famous for His many
triumphs, the unconquered Master of the Christian warfare. He has
girt our loins with the belt of chastity, He has shod our feet with the
bonds of peace: because the unbelted soldier is quickly
vanquished by the suggester of immodesty, and he that is unshod is
easily bitten by the serpent. He has given the shield of faith
for the protection of our whole body; on our head has He set the helmet
of salvation; our right hand has He furnished with a sword, that is
with the word of Truth: that the spiritual warrior may not only
be safe from wounds, but also may have strength to wound his
assailant.
V. Abstinence not only from food but from
other evil desires, especially from wrath, is required in
Lent.
Relying, therefore, dearly-beloved, on these arms,
let us enter actively and fearlessly on the contest set before
us: so that in this fasting struggle we may not rest satisfied
with only this end, that we should think abstinence from food alone
desirable. For it is not enough that the substance of our flesh
should be reduced, if the strength of the soul be not also
developed. When the outer man is somewhat subdued, let the inner
man be somewhat refreshed; and when bodily excess is denied to our
flesh, let our mind be invigorated by spiritual delights. Let
every Christian scrutinise himself, and search severely into his inmost
heart: let him see that no discord cling there, no wrong desire
be harboured. Let chasteness drive incontinence far away; let the
light of truth dispel the shades of deception; let the swellings of
pride subside; let wrath yield to reason; let the darts of
ill-treatment be shattered, and the chidings of the tongue be bridled;
let thoughts of revenge fall through, and injuries be given over to
oblivion. In fine, let “every plant which the heavenly
Father hath not planted be removed by the roots911
.” For then only are the seeds of
virtue well nourished in us, when every foreign germ is uprooted from
the field of wheat. If any one, therefore, has been fired by the
desire for vengeance against another, so that he has given him up to
prison or bound him with chains, let him make haste
to forgive not only the innocent, but
also one who seems worthy of punishment, that he may with confidence
make use of the clause in the Lord’s
prayer and say, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our
debtors912
| 912 S. Matt. vi. 12, 14, 15. | .” Which petition the
Lord marks with peculiar emphasis, as if the
efficacy of the whole rested on this condition, by saying, “For
if ye forgive men their sins, your Father which is in heaven also will
forgive you: but if ye forgive not men, neither will your Father
forgive you your sins913
| 913 S. Matt. vi. 12, 14, 15. | .”
VI. The right use of Lent will lead to a
happy participation in Easter.
Accordingly, dearly-beloved, being mindful of our
weakness, because we easily fall into all kinds of faults, let us by no
means neglect this special remedy and most effectual healing of our
wounds. Let us remit, that we may have remission: let us
grant the pardon which we crave: let us not be eager to be
revenged when we pray to be forgiven. Let us not pass over the
groans of the poor with deaf ear, but with prompt kindness bestow our
mercy on the needy, that we may deserve to find mercy in the
judgment. And he that, aided by God’s grace, shall strain every nerve after this
perfection, will keep this holy fast faithfully; free from the leaven
of the old wickedness, in the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth914
, he will reach the blessed Passover, and by
newness of life will worthily rejoice in the mystery of man’s
reformation through Christ our Lord Who with
the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever and
ever. Amen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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