XXIV. On Trial

SERMON XXIV.

ON TRIAL.

The Annunciation.

“And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying.”-S. Luke i. 29.

     WILL not those who hear this be troubled by the very thought, that I intend to speak of the trouble of the most blessed Virgin, as though the present  solemnity offered no more important object for meditation?  So many virtues, so many perfections, so many miracles, so many mysteries, offer themselves to our minds at the name of the most blessed Mary, and at  the  remembrance of the angel’s  Annunciation unto her, that they hardly leave room to perceive the light and short-timed trouble of her meek and peaceful soul. 

     But I am not afraid of pondering this trouble.  Miracles are glorious without words; mysteries are often better revered by silence than by irrelevant efforts to expound them.  Virtues! perfections!—oh! that it were sufficient for us to speak but of virtues <281> and excellencies, and  that it were unnecessary  to  remind us of deficiencies, nay, even of vices!  But if, as I suppose, there will be many who will not refuse to acknowledge with me that almost every day, and sometimes even more than once a day, this or that word, this or that circumstance, leads us into trouble, great or small, of longer or shorter duration, not seldom influencing our own words, acts, and relations to others, in every case unfortunate, since it disturbs the peace and clouds the serenity of the soul. And therefore, it is not without importance for us to observe with peculiar attention this seemingly trifling incident, how sometimes even a soul blessed with Divine peace falls unavoidably into trouble, and how it conquers it; that we may by this example perceive, diminish, and conquer our own generally wilful troubles, and may spread, as far as we are able, the domain of true peace in the soul. 

     “And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying.”  Who is it that leads her into trouble who must be full of peace, being called to bring forth our peace? [Ephes. Ii. 14.]  Is it a man of unfriendly disposition?  Is it the Spirit of enmity, the eternal foe of peace, because he is deprived of it himself, the common Sower of troubles and alarms, because he lives in perpetual rebellion?  No! to our wonderment, the cause of Mary’s trouble is an angel, a peaceful servant of the GOD of Peace.  But perhaps the form under which he appeared <282> unto her, had something dreadful in itself?  No, we see not even this.  The angel comes in quietly, and speaks: “And the angel came in unto her, and said.” Then why is she troubled?   “She was troubled at his saying.”  Was then that saying threatening?  On the contrary, it was a word of joy and blessing:  “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the LORD is with the; blessed art thou among women." 

     Let us reflect awhile on the words of the angel, that we may find out the hidden cause of Mary’s trouble. Until now no earthly born man, and above all no woman, had heard such a greeting from heaven.  It is evident that the messengers of heaven are not prodigal of compliments; for pure heavenly truth is as devoid of superfluous affability as of unnecessary harshness: “Peace be unto thee,” [Judges vi. 23.] said the angel of the LORD unto Gideon, because he needed to be reassured; for Gideon, according to the belief of his time, thought that the vision of air angel would be fatal to him.  But the salutation, “Hail!” was without precedent in the ancient visions of angels.  “The LORD is with thee,”—thus did the angel again greet Gideon, and also from a peculiar necessity, to inspire him with strength and courage for the miraculous victory over the enemy, and for the salvation of the people of Israel.  Several times and abundantly did GOD bless Abraham, as for instance: “In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy <283> seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” [Gen. xxii. 17, 18.]  And again: “Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” [Gen. xviii. 18.] But it is not said here, that Abraham was blessed among men, that is, above all men; and as to the blessing of Sarah, although she participated in bringing forth the blessed seed, there was nothing said whatever.  It is true the LORD had once said of Sarah: “And I will bless her;” [Gen. xvii. 16.] but it is worthy of remark, that even  this short blessing  was uttered not to her, but to Abraham in her absence.  It evidently, according to the decrees of GOD, behoved that the first-fruits of the returning blessing upon the unhappy earth should remain longer hidden from woman, in whom the Joss of that blessing in happy paradise began earner than in man.  Undoubtedly, this was known to the Virgin Mary, as well from the written Word of GOD, as by means of her own  lowly religious meditations; and therefore, when she hears the unexpected visitor greeting her not only with peace, but with joy, ascribes to her grace, not merely as a gift, but as an inalienable dignity, foretells her blessedness pre-eminently over all women in the world,—her meek soul is moved by the powerful words of the Spirit, as calm water is irresistibly <284> put in  motion by  the mighty breath of the wind: “She was troubled at his saying.”  There is nothing impure in that trouble: but there subsists no longer during the moment of trouble that peace of soul which preceded it.  When the wind, striking the face of water, raises it partly from its bed, then even the purest water is agitated, and seems troubled.  Thus the soul of Mary, not only uplifted from the lowliness in  which  it reposed, but even raised above all creation by  the glorifying  words of the angel, became troubled by a holy fear, and her constant yearning towards deep lowliness, having become more manifest in her exaltation, revealed itself in her trouble. 

     We see here how even a holy and passionless soul enters into trouble.  Let us now see if it abides therein, and how it issues from it. 

     “She was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” When in any soul trouble continues, increases, and gains the absolute mastery over peace; then we hear impatient words, observe irregular movements, see unseemly actions.  But nothing of the kind appeared in the holy Mary.  Trouble did not impel her to action, extorted not a single word from her.  It is thus evident that she remained not for a moment wilfully in the trouble into which she was thrown of necessity; but as soon as she was conscious of it, she thought directly of the means of passing out of it; and as a first defence against trouble she employed silence. <285> 

     Another means of defence used by the wise Virgin against trouble, was reflection: “and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.”  The Evangelist does not relate in detail in what consisted her reflections, doubtlessly pure as her soul, exalted as her spirit, mighty as the grace bestowed upon her.  He deemed not those details necessary to us; he wrote concerning Mary’s trouble merely what is useful for all to learn who are exposed to trouble, namely, that she came out of trouble by means of firm and discreet reflection.  If to achieve the victory of peace in her soul, the angel’s appeasing word, “fear not,” was necessary, then as a preparation for the new reception of the words of the angel, there was no less need of her own calming reflection, inspired by prayer, as we may undoubtedly conclude from the constant state of her spirit.  Heavenly influence brings perfect peace to the soul; but only a soul firm against outward and inward agitation, and rising from well- grounded reflection to pious meditation, is able to receive the sublime and bountiful influences from above. 

     Let us now compare our own frequent troubles, with the faultless trouble of the faultless Virgin. 

     Mary is troubled by words of praise, though  there is no  praise of which she were unworthy, and  which she would  not far exceed by her merit.  Do we thus receive praise, when it falls upon our ear?  Do we think that although it seems to be the word of an angel, it may prove that of a tempter?  Are we <286> ashamed of unmerited praise, do we abhor partial praise, are we afraid even of just praise, that it might not lull virtue to slumber or impair its purity?  Does not the imprudent heart swallow praise as sweet food, and perhaps as a sweet poison?  Does not insatiable self-love attain the shamelessness of begging praise, or of ascribing it to itself? There are those who say unblushingly of themselves, I am a good Christian: I am a true son of the Church: and they are tranquil at these words: but I own I should wish them more uncertainty and  doubt concerning themselves, instead of this too careless and self-confident tranquillity, which may end in a too late and extreme confusion. 

     Mary is troubled at a word, unwelcome to her humility: while we, on the contrary, are we not often troubled at words unwelcome to our pride?  Not only words really reproachful, and  actions really  offending, soon deprive us of our patience; but even slight disagreements, involuntary  words,  just and  moderate reproach, revolt us to  the very depth of our hearts, even to anger and  exasperation.  A soul unpurified from passions, at the least influence from without, like impure water, raises from its depth its mud and  slime, adding to outward trouble a much more inward darkness. 

     Mary is troubled, and delays not to subdue her trouble, restraining and crushing it in silence.  Whereas among us many are turned by almost every ebullition of inward displeasure, either into a vessel of <287>fermenting wine, or into a fire-breathing mountain, which showers lava and stones over all surrounding it.  As soon as the spark of restless displeasure begins to smoulder within thee, at once take heed not to give air to it, that the smoke may not become fire, and that the fire may not envelope thee.  Whatever be the cause of thy inward trouble, carefully cover thy vessel by silence, and let it stand, in patience, until the agitated fermentation comes to an end, and thy wine is purified. 

     Mary is troubled, but she overcomes her trouble by reflection.  Let us borrow from her that instrument, to employ it in our inward strife.  Howsoever varied the attacks, a wise word, above all when it is sharpened by the word of GOD,  like a two-edged sword, acts on all sides unto the overturning of the enemy and to our own security.  What is rising against thee, and troubling the peace of thy soul?  A reproach!  Bethink thyself, is it a just one?  If it is unjust, then the arrow has fled past thee; wherefore then shouldst thou be sick if thou art not wounded?  But if it is just, then be not angry against him who reproaches thee.  As against a foe, who deals thee a wound, but thank him as a physician, who discovers it to thee, and compels thee to cure it.  Is it an offence which angers thee?  Bethink thyself, which is better, to be the offender or the offended? Undoubtedly it is better to be innocent, than to be guilty.  Bethink thyself also of this, which is better, to be angry or <288> to endure patiently?  Anger may suddenly make us both guilty and unhappier than before, while on the contrary, patience preserves innocence and may lessen misfortune.  If thou art led into trouble, and despondency by thy imperfect progress in the work of thy own perfection, by thy sudden fallings and other inward disorders,—bethink thyself, that trouble alone neither corrects nor perfects: while despondency takes away strength, and therefore thou must not linger in fruitless trouble, but start up from despondency, and unremittingly strive to gain the victory over passion and lust, and along with it peace of soul and the joy of salvation. 

     May the grace of the highly favoured Mary be with every Christian soul in its involuntary trouble, and help it to appease this trouble by silence, and thoroughly to overcome it by reflection and prayer, that the angel of peace may speak freely to our hearts, and sow therein the “fruit of righteousness,” which “is sown in peace of them that make peace.” [S. James iii. 18.]