AUGUST XXV.

THE PASSION OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE.

Historians say that there are three nations called India. The first India lies towards the Ethiopians' realm, the second lies towards the Medes, the third on the great ocean; this third India has on one side darkness, and on the other the grim ocean. To this came the apostle of God Bartholomew, and went into the temple to the idol Ashtaroth, and as a stranger there remained. In the idol dwelt a devil such that he spake to men through the image, and healed the sick, the blind and the halt, whom he had himself previously afflicted. He injured men's sight, and afflicted their bodies with divers diseases, and answered them through the image, that they should offer to him their gifts, and he would heal them; but he helped them not with any healing, but when they bowed to him, he ceased from the bodily affliction, for he then possessed their souls. Then foolish men thought that he healed them, when he ceased from afflicting them.

When the apostle went into the temple, the devil Ashtaroth became dumb, and could not help any of those whom he had afflicted, for the presence of the holy servant of God. There lay there within the temple many sick men, and offered daily to the idol; but when they saw that he could not help them, nor answer any one, they went to a neighbouring city, where another devil was worshiped, whose name was Berith, and offered to him, and asked, why their god could not answer them? The devil Berith then answered, and said, "Your god is so fast bound with iron chains, that he dares not even breathe or speak since God's apostle Bartholomew came within the temple." They asked, "Who is Bartholomew?" The devil answered, "He is a friend of the Almighty God, and he is come to this province that he may render vain all the idols which these Indians worship." They said, "Describe to us his countenance, that we may know him." Berith answered them, "He has fair and curling locks, is white of body, and has deep eyes and moderate sized nose, and ample beard, somewhat hoary, a middling stature, and is clad in a white upper garment, and is within six and twenty years old: his raiment is not dirty nor threadbare, nor are his shoes worn out. A hundred times he bows his knees by day, and a hundred times by night, praying to his Lord. His voice is as an immense trumpet, and God's angels go with him, who allow not hunger to hurt him, nor any faintness. He is ever of one mind, and continues glad. All things he foresees and knows, and he understands the tongues of all nations. Now long ago he knows what I am saying of him, for God's angels minister and make known all things to him. When ye seek him, if he himself will, ye will find him; if he will not, verily ye will find him not. I pray you that ye earnestly beseech him not to come hither, lest God's angels who are with him command to me what they have commanded to my companion Ashtaroth." And with these words the devil was silent.

They turned back, and beheld the countenance and garments of every man, and, during a space of two days, they did not find him. Then in the meanwhile some madman cried through the devil's spirit, and said, "O thou apostle of God, Bartholomew, thy prayers torment and exasperate me." The apostle then said, "Be dumb, thou unclean devil, and depart from the man." And straightways the man was cleansed from the foul spirit, and spake rationally, who had been mad for many years.

Then the king Polymius heard of the maniac, how the apostle had saved him from that madness, and he commanded him to be fetched to him, and said, "My daughter is cruelly frantic: now I beseech thee to bring her to her wits, as thou didst Seustius, who for many years had been afflicted with dreadful madness." When the apostle saw the maiden bound with hard chains (because she bit and tore everyone whom she could reach, and no man durst approach her), he ordered her to be unbound. The servants answered him, "Who dares to touch her?" Bartholomew answered, "I have bound the fiend that tormented her, and ye yet fear her. Go to and unbind her, and give her to eat, and to-morrow early lead her to me." They did then as the apostle ordered, and the accursed spirit could no longer torment her.

Then on the morrow the king Polymius loaded gold, and silver, and precious gems, and purple garments upon camels, and sought the apostle, but he found him not. On the morrow the apostle came into the king's bower, the door being closed, and asked him, "Why soughtest thou me with gold, and with silver, and with precious gems, and garments? These gifts those require who seek earthly wealth; but I desire no earthly treasure, nor fleshly pleasure; but I wish thee to know that the Son of Almighty God vouchsafed to be born of a maidenly womb, who wrought heaven and earth and all creatures; and he had beginning in humanity who never began in his divine nature, for he is himself beginning, and to all creatures, both visible and invisible, gave beginning. The maiden who bare him despised every man's fellowship, and to the Almighty God promised her maidenhood. To her came God's archangel, Gabriel, and announced to her the advent of the Heavenly Prince into her womb, and she believed his words, and so was with child."

The apostle then preached to the king all christianity, and the redemption of the world through the advent of Jesus, and how he overcame the hellish devil, and deprived him of mankind, and said, "The Lord Christ, who through his innocent death overpowered the devil, has sent us among all nations, to drive away the devil's ministers, who dwell in images, and to withdraw the heathen who worship them from their power. But we receive not gold nor silver, but despise, as Christ despised them; for we desire to be rich in his kingdom, in which neither sickness, nor infirmity, nor sadness, nor death, has any place, but there is eternal happiness and bliss, joy without end with eternal riches. Therefore came I to your temple, and the devil, who answered you through the image, is made captive by the angels of God who sent me. And if thou consentest to be baptized, I will cause thee to see the devil, and to hear by what craft he appears to heal sickness. The accursed devil, after that he had deceived the first-created man, had power over unbelieving men, over some greater, over some less: on those greater who sin more, on those less who sin in less degree. Now the devil by his wiles causes miserable men to fall sick, and instigates them to believe in an idol: then ceases he from afflicting them, and has their souls in his power; then they say to the image, Thou art my god. But the devil, which was within your temple, is bound, and cannot answer those who pray to him. If thou wilt prove whether I speak truth, I will command him to go into the image, and I will make him confess the same, that he is bound and can give no answer."

Then the king answered, "Now to-morrow this folk has designed to offer him their gifts, then will I come thereto, that I may see these wonderful deeds." So on the second day the king with the citizens came to the temple, and then the devil cried with terrific voice through the image, and said, "Cease, ye miserable, cease your offerings, lest ye suffer worse torment than I. I am bound with fiery chains by the angels of Christ, whom the Jews hanged on a cross: they thought that death might hold him captive; but he overcame death, and bound our prince with fiery chains, and on the third day arose victorious, and gave his rood-sign to his apostles, and sent them among all nations. One of them is here, who holds me bound. I pray you that ye intercede for me to him, that I may go to some other province."

Then said the apostle Bartholomew, "Thou unclean devil, confess who has afflicted these sick men." The unclean spirit answered, "Our prince, bound as he now is, sent us to mankind, that we might afflict them with divers infirmities; first their bodies, for we have no power over their souls, unless they offer us their gifts. But when they for their bodies' health offer to us, then cease we from afflicting the body, for we have then their souls in our power. Then it seems as though we heal them, when we cease from those afflictions. And men worship us for gods, while we truly are devils, disciples of the chief whom Christ, the maiden's Son, has bound. From the day on which his apostle Bartholomew came hither, I am grievously tormented with burning chains, and therefore I speak what he has commanded me; else I durst not speak in his presence, nor even our chief."

Then said the apostle, "Why wilt thou not heal the sick, as thy custom was?" The devil answered, "When we injure the bodies of men, unless we can injure the soul, the bodies continue in their affliction." Bartholomew said, "And how come ye to the affliction of the soul?" The devil answered, "When they believe that we are gods, and offer to us, then the Almighty God forsakes them, and we then leave the body undiseased, and attend to the soul that has bowed to us, and which is then in our power."

Then said the apostle to all the people, "Lo, now ye have heard what sort of god this is that ye thought healed you; but hear now the true God your Creator, who dwells in heaven; and believe not henceforth in vain images: and if ye will that I intercede for you with God, and that these sick receive health, overthrow and break this image. If this ye do, then will I hallow this temple in the name of Christ, and therein wash you with his baptism from all sins." The king then commanded the image to be cast down. The people then promptly cast ropes about it, and plied it with poles, but they could not, for the devil, stir the image.

Then the apostle commanded the ropes to be loosed, and said to the accursed spirit which staid in it, "If thou wilt that I send thee not into the abyss, depart from this image, and break it, and go to the waste, where no bird flies, nor husbandman ploughs, nor voice of man sounds." He forthwith came out, and brake the image piecemeal, and crushed all the carvings within the temple. The people then with one voice cried, "There is one Almighty God, whom Bartholomew preaches." The apostle then stretched out his hand towards heaven, thus praying, "Thou Almighty God, in whom Abraham believed, and Isaac, and Jacob; thou who hast sent thine only begotten Son, that he might redeem us with his precious blood from the devil's thraldom, and hath made us to be thy children; thou art the unbegotten Father, he is the Son ever of thee begotten, and the Holy Ghost is ever proceeding from thee and thy Son, who hath given us in his name this power, to heal the sick, and give light to the blind, cleanse lepers, drive out devils, raise the dead, and hath said unto us, Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye pray for in my name, of my Father, it shall be granted unto you. Now I pray in his name that this sick multitude be healed, that they all may know that thou alone art God in heaven, and on earth, and on sea, thou who restorest health through the same our Lord, who with thee and with the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth for ever and ever." While they were answering "Amen," all the sick multitude was healed: and there came then flying God's angel shining as the sun, and flew over the four corners of the temple, and graved with his finger the sign of the cross on the four-cornered stones, and said, "The God who sendeth me said, That so as these sick are healed from all diseases, so hath he cleansed this temple from the devil's foulness, whom the apostle hath commanded to retire to the waste. And God hath bidden me that I first make manifest the devil to your sights. Be ye not afraid at the sight of him, but mark the sign of the rood on your foreheads, and every evil shall depart from you."

And the angel then showed to the people the accursed spirit in this likeness. He appeared as an immense Ethiop, with sharp visage and ample beard. His locks hung to his ancles, his eyes were scattering fiery sparks; sulphureous flame stood in his mouth, he was frightfully feather-clad, and his hands were bound to his back. Then said God's angel to the hideous devil, "Because thou wast obedient to the apostle's commands, and didst break the diabolical image, now, according to his promise, I will unbind thee, that thou mayest go to the waste, there where no man's converse is; and there dwell until the great doom." And the angel then unbound him, and he with woful lamentation went away, and nowhere afterwards appeared. The angel then, all looking on him, flew to heaven.

Then the king Polymius, with his wife and his two sons, and with all his people, believed in the true God, and was baptized, and cast away his crown together with his purple garments, and would not let God's apostle depart. After this all the perverse and reprobate assembled, and accused the king to his brother Astryges, who was king in another country, and said, "Thy brother is become the follower of a magician, who appropriates to himself our temples, and breaks our gods." Then was the king Astryges enraged, and sent a thousand armed soldiers, that they might bring the apostle to him bound. When the apostle was led to him, the king said, "Why hast thou corrupted my brother with thy magic?" Bartholomew answered, "I have not corrupted him, but I have turned him from heathenism to the true God." The king said to him, "Why hast thou cast down our gods?" He answered, "I gave that power to the devils, that they might crush the vain image in which they dwelt, that mankind might turn from their errors, and believe in the true God." Then said the king, "So as thou hast made my brother forsake his god and believe in thy god, so also will I make thee forsake thy god and believe in mine." Then answered the apostle, "The god that thy brother worshiped I showed to him bound, and I commanded that he should himself break his image. If thou canst do this to my God, then wilt thou incline me to the worship of thy god; but if thou canst not do this to my God, I will break all thy gods, and do thou then believe in the true God whom I preach."

While he was saying this, some man announced to the king that his greatest god Baldath had fallen, and burst asunder piecemeal. The king then tore his purple robe, and commanded the apostle to be beaten with stiff clubs, and afterwards beheaded. And he on this day, so martyred, departed to the eternal life. But after this the brother came with his people and bore away the holy body with glorious hymns, and built a monastery of wondrous greatness, and in that honourably placed his holy remains. But on the thirtieth day the king Astryges, who had commanded the apostle to be slain, was seized with a fiendlike spirit, and dreadfully became frantic: so also the perverse idolaters, who through envy had accused the apostle to the king, became frantic together with him, and they and he ran to his grave, and there raving died. Then sprang up great dread and horror over all the unbelieving, and they then believed and were baptized at the hands of the mass-priests whom the apostle had before ordained. Then the apostle Bartholomew revealed respecting the believing king Polymius, that he should receive the episcopal order; and the servants of God and the believing people chose him unanimously to that order. It happened then, after the ordination, that he wrought many miracles in the name of God through his belief, and continued twenty years in the episcopal office, and in good course of life; and in full dignity departed to the Lord, to whom is honour and glory for ever and ever.

We may take example by the apostolic doctrine, that no christian man shall fetch his salvation save from the Almighty Creator, whom life and death, sickness and health obey, who hath said in his gospel, that a little bird falls not in death without God's direction. He is so mighty, that he directs and orders without toil; but he scourges his chosen with diseases, as he himself said, "Those whom I love I chastise and scourge." For divers causes are christian men afflicted with disease, sometimes for their sins, sometimes for trial, sometimes for God's miracles, sometimes for preservation of good courses, that they may be the humbler; but in all these things patience is needful. Sometimes also through God's vengeance comes very dreadful evil to the impious man, so that his punishment begins in this world, and his soul departs to eternal punishments for his cruelty; as Herod who slew the innocent children at the birth of Christ, and many others besides him. If the sinful be afflicted with disease for his unrighteousness, then if he with patience praise his Lord, and pray for his mercy, he shall be washed from his sins by that sickness, as a foul garment by soap. If he be righteous, he shall have greater honour through his sickness, if he be patient. He who is impatient, and with froward mind murmurs against God in his sickness, shall have double condemnation, for he increases his sins by that murmuring, and suffers nevertheless.

God is the true leech, who by divers afflictions heals the sins of his people. The world's leech is not cruel, though he cure the wounded with burning or with the amputation-knife. The leech cuts or burns, and the patient cries, yet has he no mercy on the other's moaning, for if the leech desist from his craft, then will the wounded perish. So also God cures the sins of his chosen with divers diseases; and though it be wearisome to the sufferer, yet will the good Leech cure him to everlasting health. But he who suffers no sickness in this life, he goes to suffering. For his own sins a man is afflicted with disease, as the Lord said to one bedridden, who was borne to him, "My son, thy sins are forgiven thee: arise now, and bear home thy sick-bed."

For trial are some men afflicted with disease, as was the blessed Job, when he was righteous and obedient to God. Then the devil prayed that he might try him, and he in one day destroyed all his possessions, and afterwards afflicted himself with the greatest disease, so that worms rolled over all his body. But the patient Job, in all these calamities, sinned not with his mouth, nor spake anything foolish against God, but said, "God gave me possessions, and afterwards took them from me; be his name blessed." God also then healed him, and restored him his possessions twofold. Some men are afflicted for the miracles of God, as Christ said of some blind man, when his disciples asked him, for whose sins the man was thus born blind. Then said Jesus, that he was born blind not for his own nor for his parents' sins, but because that God's miracles might be manifested through him. And he forthwith mercifully healed him, and manifested that he is the true Creator, who opened the unshapen eye-rings with his salutary spittle.

For preservation of true humility are God's chosen very often afflicted, as Paul the apostle said of himself, "To me is given a goad of my body, and the devil buffeteth me, that the greatness of God's revelations may not exalt me; for I thrice besought my Lord to remove the devil's goad from me; but he answered me, Paul, my grace will suffice thee. Verily power is promoted in weakness. I now glorify joyfully in my weaknesses, that Christ's might may dwell in me."

The christian man, who in any of this like is afflicted, and he then will seek his health at unallowed practices, or at accursed enchantments, or at any witchcraft, then will he be like to those heathen men, who offered to an idol for their bodies' health, and so destroyed their souls. Let him who is sick pray for his health to his Lord, and patiently endure the stripes; let him behold how long the true Leech provides, and buy not, through any devil's craft, with his soul, his body's health; let him also ask the blessing of good men, and seek his health at holy relics. It is not allowed to any christian man to fetch his health from any stone, nor from any tree, unless it be the holy sign of the rood, nor from any place, unless it be the holy house of God: he who does otherwise, undoubtedly commits idolatry. We have, nevertheless, examples in holy books, that he who will may cure his body with true leechcraft, as the prophet Isaiah did, who wrought for the king Hezekiah a plaster for his sore, and cured him.

The wise Augustine said, that it is not perilous, though any one eat a medicinal herb; but he reprehends it as an unallowed charm, if any one bind those herbs on himself, unless he lay them on a sore. Nevertheless we should not set our hope in medicinal herbs, but in the Almighty Creator, who has given that virtue to those herbs. No man shall enchant a herb with magic, but with God's words shall bless it, and so eat it.

Let every one, however, know, that no man comes to the eternal rest without tribulations, when Christ himself would not ascend to his own kingdom without great tribulation: so also his apostles, and the holy martyrs with their own lives bought the heavenly kingdom: afterwards also holy confessors with great perseverance in God's service, and through great privations and chastity became holy. What shall we, the end-men of this world, desire, if for our sins we are with sickness afflicted, but to praise our Lord, and humbly pray that he through transient stripes lead us to everlasting joy? To him be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

AUGUST XXIX.

THE DECOLLATION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Misit Herodes et tenuit Johannem: et reliqua.

Mark the Evangelist wrote in the book of Christ concerning the great Baptist John, that "the cruel king Herod bound him, and set him in prison, for the sake of his brother's wife Herodias," etc.

This John was the greatest man, as Christ bore witness concerning him. He said, "Among the children of women there hath not arisen any greater man than John the Baptist." Now ye have often heard of his great course and of his ministry, now we will relate to you some explanation touching the exposition of this gospel.

This Herod, who commanded John to be beheaded, and agreed with Pilate the ealdorman in the suffering of Jesus, and delivered him to his judgement, was the son of the other Herod, who reigned at the time when Christ was born; for it was usual at that time for rich men to give their children names after themselves, that it might seem the greater remembrance of the father, when the son, his heir, was called by his father's name. The cruel father, Herod, left five sons; three he commanded to be slain in his last illness, ere he departed. Then he died miserably and suddenly after he had slain the children on account of the birth of Christ; when Archelaus his son succeeded to the kingdom. Then after a space of ten years he was driven from his throne, because the Jewish people complained of his pride to the emperor, and he then sent him into exile. The emperor then divided the Jewish kingdom into four, and placed therein four brothers, who, according to the Greek tongue, are called 'tetrarchs,' that is, rulers over a fourth. A tetrarch is he who has a fourth part of a kingdom. One of these brothers was called Philip, who took to wife the daughter of the king Arethe, of an Arabian people, who was called Herodias. Then after some time they, Philip and Arethe, were at variance, and he took his daughter from his son-in-law, and gave her to his brother Herod; because he was greater in fame and in power. Herod then cast off his lawful wife, and adulterously lived in criminal union.

Then at that time John the Baptist preached God's righteousness to all the Jewish people, and reproved Herod for that foul union. Ecclesiastica Historia ita narrat: When Herod saw that all the Jewish multitude ran to John's teaching, and zealously obeyed his admonitions, he was afraid, and imagined that through John's teaching they would despise his government, and would anticipate them, and brought him into prison in a town which is called Machæruntia. John sent then two disciples from the prison to Christ, and inquired of him, thus saying, "Art thou he who is to come, or are we to await another?" As though he had said, Manifest to me whether thou thyself wilt descend to the inmates of hell for the redemption of men, as I have preached to the world that thou wast to come,—manifest. Jesus then, at the same time as the evangelist Luke wrote, was healing many sick from divers diseases, and giving reason to insane men, and sight to the blind, and said then to John's messengers, "Go now to John, and make known to him the things which ye have seen and heard. Behold now blind see, and the halt go, and lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, and the dead arise, and poor preach the gospel; and he is happy who shall not be offended in me." As though he had said to John, Such wonders I work, and yet will I perish by death for the redemption of mankind, and follow thee dying, and happy shall he be who now praiseth my wonders, if he despise not my death, and on account of that death doubt not that I am God. Thus Jesus revealed to John that he himself would vouchsafe to die, and afterwards visit the inmates of hell.

Then meanwhile it befell that Herod, as we before said, feasted his councillors on the day on which he was born; for at that time they had great rejoicing on their birth-tides. The daughter then, as we before said, played with her maidens at the feast, to the pleasure of them all, and the father then promised on oath that he would give her whatsoever she desired. Of three impious sins we have heard,—the unholy celebration of his birth-tide, and the giddy dancing of the maiden, and the father's presumptuous oath. These three things it befitteth us to oppose in our conduct. We may not with vain celebrations turn our birth-tide to any holyday, nor have our birth in such remembrance; but we should anticipate our last day with penitence and penance, so as it is written, "In all things be thou mindful of thy last day, and thou wilt sin not to eternity." It is not fitting to us to pollute our body, which is hallowed to God in the salutary baptism, with indecent and foolish play; for our bodies are limbs of God, as St. Paul said, "And he enjoined, that we should prepare our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, and acceptable to God." The body is a living sacrifice which is shielded against deadly sins, and through holy virtues is acceptable to God and holy. God himself forbids every oath to christian men, thus saying, "Swear thou not by heaven, for it is God's throne. Swear thou not by earth, for it is God's footstool. Swear thou not by thine own head, for thou canst not make one hair of thy locks white or black. I say unto you, swear ye not by anything, but be your speech thus ended, It is as I say, or it is not so. Whatsoever there is more by oath, that is of evil."

Christ himself confirmed his speech, when he spake to a Samaritan woman with these words, "Crede mihi," that is, "Believe me." Yet if we anywhere heedlessly swear, and the oath compel us to a worse deed, then will it be more advisable for us to avoid the greater guilt, and atone to God for the oath. David, for example, swore by God that he would slay the foolish man Nabal, and destroy all his things; but at the first intercession of the prudent woman Abigail, he returned his sword into the sheath, and praised the woman's prudence, who forbade him that perilous murder. Herod through folly swore that he would give the dancing daughter whatsoever she might ask: then, because he would not be called a perjurer by his guests, he stained the feast with blood, and gave the death of the great prophet to the lewd dancer in reward of her play. Much better for him had it been to have broken the oath, than to have commanded such a prophet to be slain.

In all things we should carefully consider, if we anywhere, through the devil's machinations, fall at once into two perils, that we always flee from the greater guilt by the outlet of the less, as he does who will flee from his foes over a wall, then observes he where the wall is lowest, and there darts over. But Herod, when he would not, through John's remonstrance, turn from the unclean connexion, fell into murder, and the smaller sin was the cause of the greater, so that he for his foul adultery, which he well knew was hateful to God, shed the prophet's blood, who he knew was acceptable to God. This is the sentence of the divine judgement, by which it is said, "Let him who injureth, injure yet more; and let him who liveth in foulness, defile himself yet more." This sentence befell the cruel Herod. Now there is another sentence shortly said concerning good men, "Let him who is holy be yet more hallowed." This befell the Baptist John, who was holy through manifold deserts; and was yet more hallowed, when he through the preaching of truth came to triumphant martyrdom.

Herod feigned himself sad, when the daughter prayed him for the head; but he rejoiced in secret, because she prayed for the death of that man whom he would before have slain, if he had had a pretext. But if the child had prayed for the woman's head, he would with great anger have refused her. John was not by persecution compelled to deny Christ, but, nevertheless, he gave his life for Christ, when he was martyred for truth. Christ himself said, "I am the truth." John was Christ's forerunner in his birth, and in his preaching, in baptism, in suffering, and in his precious death preceded him to hell. When he was beheaded, his disciples came, and bare his holy body to a city which is called Sebastia, and they laid him there. The holy head was buried at Jerusalem.

Some heretics said that the head blew the king's wife Herodias, for whom he had been slain, so that she went with winds over all the world; but they erred in that saying, for she lived to the end of her life after the slaying of John. But John's head was afterwards manifested to two eastern monks, who with prayers visited that city, and they bare the precious treasure thence to a city which is called Edessa; and the Almighty God, through that head, manifested innumerable miracles. His bones after a long time were brought to the great city of Alexandria, and there with great honour deposited.

Now it is to be considered why the Almighty God allows that his chosen and his beloved servants, whom he has predestined to eternal life, be destroyed with so many pains, and broken in this present life. But the apostle Paul has answered concerning this, and said, that "God correcteth and chastiseth every one whom he receiveth into his kingdom, and the more ignominiously he is tortured for the name of God, so much shall his glory be greater before God." Again, the same apostle said in another place, "The sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the future glory which will be manifested in us."

Now says the expositor, that no wild beast, neither among the four-footed nor the creeping, is to be compared with an evil woman. What among the four-footed is fiercer than a lion? or what among the serpent-kind is more cruel than a dragon? But the wise Solomon said, that it were better to dwell with lion and dragon than with an evil and loquacious woman. Now John had dwelt in the waste unhurt among all the beast-kind, and among serpents, and asps, and all the worm-kind, and they dreaded him. But the accursed Herodias slew him by beheading, and received the death of so great a man as a gift for her daughter's dancing. Daniel the prophet lay seven nights among seven lions in one den uninjured, but the accursed woman Jezabel betrayed the righteous Naboth to his death by false witness. The prophet Jonah was preserved unconsumed in the belly of the whale for three nights, and the treacherous Dalila deceived the strong Samson with flattery, and, his locks being shorn, betrayed him to his foes. Verily there is no worm-kind nor wild beast-kind like in evilness to an evil woman.

The historian Josephus wrote in the ecclesiastical history, that the cruel Herod, a little while after the death of John, ruled his kingdom, but first for his wicked deeds his army was slain in battle, and himself afterwards driven from his kingdom, and sent into exile, by a very righteous judgement, when he would not listen to John's exhortations to eternal life, that he suddenly with disgrace should lose his transitory kingdom. The wise Augustine exhorts us with these words, and says, "Consider, I pray you, my brethren, with understanding, how wretched is this present life, and yet ye dread leaving it too speedily. Ye love this life in which ye exist with toil; thou carest about thy need; thou runnest, and art filled with anxiety; thou ploughest, and sowest, and afterwards gatherest; thou grindest, and bakest; thou weavest and preparest garments, and hardly knowest the number of all thy needs, both on sea and on land, and shalt end all these aforesaid things, and also thy life with tribulation. Learn now, therefore, that ye may be able to earn the eternal life, in which ye will suffer none of these toils, but with God will reign to eternity."

In this life we faint, if we sustain not ourselves with food; if we drink not, we are destroyed by thirst; if we watch too long, we faint; if we stand long, we are fatigued, and then sit; again, if we sit too long, our limbs sleep. Consider also after this, that there is no stability of our body: childhood passes to boyhood, and boyhood to full growth; full growth bows to age, and age is ended by death. Verily our age stands on no stability, but so much as the body grows so greatly are its days diminished. Everywhere in our life are faintness and weariness, and decay of the body, and yet every one desires that he may live long. What is to live long but long to toil? It happens to few men in these days to live eighty years in health, and whatsoever he lives over that, it is toil to him and pain, as the prophet said, "Evil are our days," and the worse that we love them. So this world flatters very many, that they are unwilling to end this life of exile. A true and blessed life it will be, when we from death arise and reign with Christ. In that life will be good days, yet not many days, but one, which knows no rise nor no ending, which no tomorrow follows, because no yesterday preceded it; but the one day will for ever be unended without any night, without afflictions, without all the toils, which we a little before in this lecture recounted. This day and this life are promised to righteous christians, to whom may the merciful Lord lead us, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost ever without end. Amen.

THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Ibat Jesus in civitatem quae vocatur Naim: et reliqua.

Our Lord went to a city which is called Nain, and his disciples with him, and a copious multitude. When he approached the port-gate, the corpse of a young man was borne to the grave, etc.

Beda the expositor said, that the city of Nain is interpreted 'inundation' or 'agitation.' The dead youth, who was borne in sight of many men, betokens every sinful man who in the inward man is fordone with deadly sins, and his evilness is known to men. The youth was the only-born son of his mother, so is also every christian man spiritually a son of the holy church, which is the mother of us all, and, nevertheless, an undefiled maiden; for her family is not bodily but spiritual. Every servant of God, when he learns, is called a child: afterwards, when he teaches another, he is a mother, as the apostle Paul said of the fallen men, "Ye are my children, whom I now a second time conceive, until Christ is renewed in you." The port-gate betokens some bodily sense through which men sin. The man that sows dissension among christian men, or who speaks unrighteousness in high places through his mouth's gate, he is borne dead. He who beholds a woman with libidinous eye and foul lust, through his eyes' gate, manifests his soul's death. He who with delight hears idle discourse or contumelious words, makes his ear a gate of death to himself. So is it also to be understood of the other senses.

Jesus was moved with compassion for the mother, that he might give us an example of his piety; and he afterwards raised the dead, that he might confirm us to his faith. He approached and touched the bier, and the biermen stood still. The bier which bare the dead is the heedless mind of the hopeless sinful. But the bearers, who bare him to the grave, are the blandishments of flattering companions, who with blandishment and envenomed suavities stimulate and praise the sinful, as the prophet said, "The sinful is praised in his lusts, and the unrighteous is blessed: when he is surrounded by empty fame and flatteries, then is it as though he were overwhelmed by a mould-heap." Of such Jesus said to one of his chosen, when he would bury his father's corpse: he said, "Allow the dead to bury their dead: go thou, and preach God's kingdom." Verily the dead bury other dead, when sinful men court others their like with pernicious praise, and oppress with the accumulated weight of the worst flattery. Of such it is said in another place, "The tongues of flatterers bind the souls of men in sins."

When the Lord touched the bier, the biermen stood still. So also, if the mind of the sinful is touched by fear of the heavenly doom, then he withstands evil lusts and false flatteries, and to the Lord calling to eternal life promptly answers, as if he had arisen from death. The Lord said to the youth, "I say unto thee, Arise. And he forthwith sat and spake, and Jesus delivered him to his mother." The requickened sits, when the sinful with divine stimulation quickens. He speaks, when he employs his mouth with God's praises, and with true confession seeks God's mercy. He is delivered to his mother, when through the priest's authority he is associated in communion of the holy church. The folk was astonished with great awe; for so as a man turns from great sins to God's mercy, and corrects his conduct after God's commandments, so more men will be turned through his example to the praise of God.

The folk said, "That a great prophet hath arisen among us," and, "That God hath visited his folk." Truly they said of Christ, that he is a great prophet; for he is a Prophet of prophets, and the prophecy of them all; for they all prophesied of him, and by his advent he fulfilled the prophecy of them all. We say now with great faith, that he is a great prophet, for he knows all things, and also prophesied many, and he is true God of true God, Almighty Son of the Almighty Father, who visited his folk through his humanity, and relieved them from the thraldom of the devil.

We read everywhere in books, that Jesus raised many dead to life, but yet there is no gospel composed of any of them save three only. One is the youth of whom we have just spoken, the second was an ealdorman's daughter, the third was Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. The resurrection of these three persons betokens the threefold resurrection of sinful souls. The soul's death is of three kinds: one is evil assent, the second is evil work, the third is evil habit. The ealdorman's daughter lay at the point of death, and the father called Jesus thereto, because he was at that time there in the neighbourhood. She had departed before he came to her. When he came, he took her by the hand, and said, "Thou maiden, I say unto thee, Arise. And she straightways arose, and asked for meat."

This maiden, who lay therein sleeping in death, betokens the death of the sinful soul, which delights secretly in evil pleasures, and it is not yet known to men, that it, through sins, is dead; but Christ manifested that he would quicken so sinful a soul, if with fervent prayers he be thereto called, when he raised the maiden within the house, like as secret sin lurking in the human heart. Now there are other sinful, who delight in pernicious lusts by assent, and also manifest their evilness by works; such the dead youth betokened, who was borne in sight of the people. Such sinners Christ raises, if they repent of their sins, and delivers them to their mother, that is, he associates them in the unity of his church.

Some sinful men assent to their lusts, and by evil deeds manifest their sins to men, and also habitually sinning defile themselves: such Lazarus betokened, who lay four days foully stinking in the sepulchre. Verily God's name is Almighty, for he can accomplish all things. He can through his grace quicken the sinful soul, though it foully stink in habitual sins, if with careful conduct it seek God's mercy; but the more it is wounded so much more medicament does it require. That Jesus manifested, when with clear voice he raised the maiden in sight of few persons; for he allowed not more persons to be therein than the father, and the mother, and his three disciples: and he said then, "Thou maiden, Arise."

So also is the secret death of the soul, which sins secretly by assent, easier to raise than open vices are to be healed. He raised the youth in sight of all the people, and confirmed by these words, "Thou youth, I say unto thee, Arise." Secret sins shall be expiated secretly, and open openly, that those may be edified by his repentance, who had ere been seduced by his sins.

The Lord when he raised the stinking Lazarus was troubled and shed tears, and with a loud voice cried, "Lazarus, go forth:" he then manifested that he who has very long and habitually sinned, shall also with great repentance and weeping turn his evil habits to God's righteousness. There is no sin so great that a man may not expiate it, if, with inward heart, according to the degree of the sin, he continue in true penitence. There is, nevertheless, great disquisition concerning one sentence which Christ said: he said, "Every sin and calumny shall be forgiven to repenting men, but calumny of the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven. Though any one speak a calumnious word against me, he shall be forgiven, if he do penance; but he who says a word against the Holy Ghost, shall not be forgiven in this world nor in that to come." There is no forgiveness of sins but through the Holy Ghost. There is one Almighty Father, who begot a Son of himself. The Father is not called Father in common from the Son and the Holy Ghost, for the latter is not the son of them both. But the Holy Ghost is called in common from the Father and the Son, for he is the Spirit of them both, that is the Love and Will of them both, through whom sins are forgiven. Verily the work of the Holy Trinity is ever indivisible, yet all forgiveness belongs to the Holy Ghost, as birth belongs to Christ alone.

They may not be named together, Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, but they are not by any space anywhere separated from themselves. In all works they are together, though to the Father it exclusively belongs that he begot a Son, and to the Son belongs birth, and to the Holy Ghost procession. The Son is the Wisdom of the Father ever begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost is not begotten, for he is not a son, but is the Love and Will of them both, ever proceeding from them both, through whom we have forgiveness of sins, as through Christ we have redemption; and yet in either work is the Holy Trinity working indivisibly.

He speaks calumny against the Holy Ghost, who with unrepenting heart continues in deeds of wickedness, and despises the forgiveness which stands in the grace of the Holy Ghost: then shall his sin be unredeemable, for he himself besets the way of forgiveness with his hardheartedness. The repenting shall be forgiven, the despising never. Let us pray to the Almighty Father, who hath through his Wisdom made us, and through his Holy Spirit quickened us, that he through the same Spirit grant us forgiveness of our sins, as, through his only begotten Son, he has redeemed us from the thraldom of the devil.

Be praise and glory to the eternal Father who never began, and to his only Son who ever is of him, and to the Holy Ghost who ever is of them both, those three one Almighty God indivisible, reigning ever to eternity. Amen.