XXVI. On Grace

SERMON XXVI.

ON GRACE.

The Assumption of the Holy Virgin.

“And the angel came in unto her, and said: “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the LORD is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying.”-S. Luke i. 28, 29.

     I WONDER not that even thou, the Mother of the Author of peace, wert troubled at the words of the heavenly messenger.  His message was too unusual; the salutation was too unexpected; and an angel alone was able to utter it, and thou alone to listen to and to receive it with faith.

     “The LORD” was “with thee” not only by His gracious Presence, but also by real incarnation within thee.  This is “a favour” incomprehensibly high, a joy infinitely bright!  But what clouds surrounded thee living and life-bearing tabernacle of the Light!  He had not yet shone forth from thy womb, when a storm of doubt arose around thee, which, darkening, almost overcame the guardian of the Light,—Joseph.  At the time when the Divine Light was reflected from <306> the manger into  heaven,  and  His heavenly  glory  was echoed  upon  earth,  at the time when  He shone both upon  the simple-minded  shepherds and  upon  the far­ sighted Magi, Herod and all Jerusalem along with him were troubled at the approach of the Light, and a king arose to fight a mortal battle against an unarmed infant, whilst thou, Mother of the Light, wast obliged to flee into the darkness of Egypt, and to fear to  return  into the native country  of the light, Judea, and  afterwards to go among “the people which sat in darkness and in the region and shadow of death,  into Galilee of the Gentiles.” [S. Matth. iv. 16, 15.] The just man Simeon, one of the few, did not only early see, but also know and receive into his arms “the light to lighten the Gentiles:” [S. Luke ii. 32.] but what then?  When this light illumined the future to Simeon, then he, with the weapon of prophecy, pierced beforehand the soul of the Mother of the Light, that soul which was doomed to be pierced through by the sword of the sufferings of the Cross: “Yea, a sword shall pierce,” said he, “through thy own soul also.” Did the Divine proclamation of JESUS in the river of Jordan, His glory on Mount Tabor, the triumph of His doctrine and miracles, sufficiently rejoice thee, O highly favoured?  We know not sufficiently, but there is revealed to us in the Scriptures, and we are able to understand  even  with  our own  heart,  howsoever imperfect its love may  be, how numerous, manifold, lasting, and deep must have been thy sorrows for thy <307> SON—Divine,  though clothed in human infirmities,—when thou sawest Him at one time exhausted by His labours, at another contradicted by the people; sometimes in danger of His enemies, and at length in their power; when the clamours and blasphemies raised against Him, and the blows and  wounds inflicted on Him were bruising thy own heart; when  He gave thee in His stead a stranger to be thy son; when thou sawest His last glance, heardest His last word, and followedst His lifeless body!  The light of His Resurrection shone undoubtedly more abundantly upon thee than upon any; but must not earthly life have remained for thee as the darkness of night after lightning, still more dark and shapeless when He was taken from thy sight by His Ascension into heaven?  Is this the fate of her who is “blessed among women," to become at first an orphan-mother through the death on the Cross of her SON, and then by the Resurrection and glorious Ascension into heaven of that same SON, to remain again an orphan-mother upon earth? 

     But, behold, there comes a new time.  It is made manifest that the seed of the heavenly Word, if it brings not always forth speedy fruit, brings it forth more abundantly and more lastingly.  But now thy “favour" is no longer accessible to heavenly contemplation alone, and it is no longer an “angel" alone who mysteriously announces joy unto thee; thy favour and joy  are proclaimed  throughout a glorious Church, human kind blesses thee, thou that art “blessed among <308> women."  And like unto the glory of thy SON and GOD, thine own glory, O thou who “art highly favoured,” shines forth from the sepulchre.  The miracles of thy Assumption have revealed, that thy GOD-bearing soul passed straight to GOD.  Thy empty grave, forsaken of thee, revealed that even in thy body death found no prey, that is, nothing defiled by sin, and therefore nothing corruptible. The life of the world to come, which we are but hoping for, is unto thee already an actual, eternal life, in the highest degree of glory.  Thou standest in the heavenly habitation as a queen by grace, “clad in gold of Ophir, on the right hand” [Ps. xiv. 9.] of the King, Who is  the King eternal, or in the words of another contemplator, “clothed with the sun,” [Rev. xii. 1.] as it seems to me, in the revealed and perfect light of CHRIST.  Thou standest there, not only  to abide in light and rejoice therein, but also to reign in light, or to guide others into light: for “virgins shall be brought unto the King,” that is, chaste souls, or such as have become cleansed, following thee.  “Hail, thou that art highly favoured!” from henceforth and to all eternity hail! not only  rejoice, but continue in bliss, for thou art not only highly favoured, but also highly glorified! 

     And if a high degree of light and joy, of grace and bliss, be a state of plenitude, diffusing itself over that which is kindred to and able to receive it; then, O thou divinely favoured, send down of thy fulness upon <309> us who believe in thy blessedness and glorify it, at least some of the mysterious dew of grace, as the dawn of light, as the source of bliss, as the pledge of beatitude. 

     Pardon me, my brethren, if I am meditating long in your presence, as if I were alone.  On  days such  as the present one,  it were possible entirely  to  forget earth in conversing with heaven; and it would be good for us if we would more willingly and perseveringly converse with  heaven,  and  less willingly  and  hastily turn to earth, and therefore, that meeting but with our failings and wants, we should the more constantly have recourse to  the munificence and  bounteousness of heaven. 

     Yes,  my  brethren,  when  turning  from the contemplation of the favour which Mary has found with GOD, and which has led her by such wonderful ways to so high  a degree of glory,—we,  looking  to  ourselves, ought to  meditate on  the necessity  of grace for us.  If Mary alone is pre-eminently “highly-favoured,” then none may remain devoid of grace without sinking into evil and perdition.  And to attain at least an inferior degree of bliss, we want at least some portion of grace. 

     Grace,—if we desire to  fathom the fulness of this word’s meaning,—is a gift from the Most Gracious, a gracious gift; a gift by grace alone, without any previous right, or merit, or worth on  the part of the receiver.  If we consider that according to the word <310> of the Lord, “there is none good but one, that is, GOD;” [S. Matth. xix. 17.] and that therefore we can look for the fountain  of all that Is good  in  men  nowhere else than  in GOD alone, Who grants out of pure grace, and not as a requital, for “ who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed  to  him again?” [Rom. xi. 35.] then we might infer that man  has received  everything  in  himself,  around him, his very being, life, body, soul, and the use of the powers of understanding, desiring, eating, through Divine grace.  But as the good  things with  which GOD hath  endowed  His creatures in  creating  them, became in  some measure their own,  so  that having been  grace in  its beginning,  by  its continuation  it became the essence of the being and the nature of the newly-born  generation; therefore, in  order to  distinguish, we call grace these gifts which  the Most Gracious GOD grants to  man  above that which  is proper and  natural to  him.  It is in this sense that the Scripture uses the word grace, denominating thereby the grace, or the Divine power, shedding abroad its gracious influence, as for instance in the following utterance: “The grace of GOD that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men; [Titus ii. 11.] and as a gift given, or as a gift of grace, as for instance in the following testimony of the Apostle : “Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST.” [Ephes. Iv. 7.]

     At the time when there was no sin upon earth, I <311> know not if everything was accessible and transparent to material light, but doubtless everything was transparent and accessible to the light of grace. It diffused itself freely  upon  nature,  and  filled  it evermore with good and bliss, preserving in inviolable perfection and immortality  even  that wherein  were hidden  the elements of corruption,—the human  body.  But when through seduction, misused liberty, and the felling off of the human will from the will of GOD, sin entered into the world, then thereby the original alliance between nature and grace was violated.  And  although the light of grace being  divine and  therefore unimpeded, ceased not to shine on for ever upon all things, nature defiled by sin and darkened, rendered obdurate and tainted, became both unworthy and unable to receive the pure, luminous, ethereal, incorruptible influence of grace.  Thus spiritual “death entered into the world by sin,” [Rom. v. 12.] and after it bodily, temporal, and at length eternal death.  And if it be impossible for man to preserve his primitive gifts but by the aid of grace, then assuredly it is impossible for him, without the special help of grace, to retrieve that which he has lost.  And therein above ail becomes manifest the extreme necessity of that which is expressed in a wonderfully satisfying manner, in the words of the Apostle, “the abundance of grace.” [Rom. v. 17.] It was natural to man, after he had torn  himself away  from, and  forsaken grace, to  sink  down  even  into  hell; if the eternal <312> mercy of GOD, having foreseen this from eternity, had not stretched  forth  a supporting  and  restoring  arm. And  the Granter of grace and  the receiver thereof, divinity  and  sinless humanity,  He wonderfully  united in  the One Hypostasis of our LORD CHRIST,  opening in His word and life, in His Body and Blood, in His baptism by water and spirit, a new and abundant flood of grace shed abroad upon human kind, alienated from GOD,  but of the same nature with  the Incarnate One, that He might thereby  purify  that which  was defiled by  sin,  enlighten  the darkened,  spiritualize the carnal, heal the corrupt,  restore the fallen, justify  the condemned, quicken  the dead, and  redeem the lost.  And this is not my own speculation, but the doctrine of the Gospel.  “The GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST,’’ says the Apostle, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in  the Beloved.  In Whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” [Ephes. i. 3, 6, 7.] 

     The word of the Apostle often turns up to the thought of grace, and founds all Christianity upon it.  Is it desirous of leading us up to the beginning of our salvation? it directs us towards grace: “for the grace of GOD that bringeth  salvation  hath  appeared  to  all men.” [Titus ii. 11.]  Is it desirous of pointing out our salvation as being already accomplished? it points again to grace: “by grace ye are saved.” [Ephes. Ii. 5.]  Is it desirous of explaining <313> the aim, power and work of the incarnation of the SON of GOD, and His advent upon earth? it explains it by grace: “grace and truth came by JESUS CHRIST.” [S. John i. 17.]  Is it desirous of pointing out how the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and their mission concerning the salvation of other men arose in the church?  it points to  the beginning  of this in  grace: “but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST.” [Ephes. Iv. 7.] Is it desirous of strengthening a Christian in his struggle?  it strengthens him by grace: “ thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in JESUS CHRIST.” [2 Tim. ii. 1.] Is it desirous of warning him from sin?  it warns him by grace: “for sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” [Rom. vi. 14.] Is it desirous of governing our outward activity?  it rules it by grace: “ let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” [Col. iv. 6.] Is it desirous of greeting and blessing?  for this also it seeks the help of grace: “grace and peace be with  you, from GOD the FATHER and  the LORD JESUS CHRIST.” 

     Do  you  perceive,  Christians,  that in  Christianity everything  exists by  grace, and  nothing  without it ? Let every one diligently strive to obtain grace for himself. 

     But let no one be tempted by the thought that if in <314> the work of our salvation everything is accomplished by grace, we have little need of anxiety about our salvation.  No, thy  brethren  in  grace,  grace,  powerful and  efficacious,  is announced  and  granted  to  us to strengthen  our infirmity,  encourage our hopelessness, inspire us with  beneficent activity,  but not to  render our carelessness more inert, or to lull us into slothfulness.  “We beseech you,” writes S. Paul to the Christians of Corinth, “that ye receive not the grace of GOD in vain.” [2 Cor. vi. 1.] What! is it really possible to receive grace, “that bringeth salvation to all men,” in vain?  Apparently this may happen, when the Apostle warns us so carefully from it, “we beseech you, that ye receive not the grace in vain.”  Divine grace is in itself saving, but it does not save us without our own efforts. It is not received in vain when received in faith, faithfully used and kept, when we use it in our life and works; but in vain when our faith is failing, when our life and works offend the grace of GOD and repel it.  Grace is the talent of the heavenly Master which both enriches the faithful and zealous servant, and is taken away from the unfaithful and unprofitable one. And therefore “we beseech you, that ye receive not the grace in vain,—looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of GOD.” [Heb. xii. 15.] 

     Let us also beware of another thought, unfavourable to grace.  Some think  that they  live well enough when they live according to nature, and therefore they <315> do not strive to raise the tenor of their life, that they may  live according  to  grace.  This is indeed a dangerous illusion.  If,  as we have partly  shown,  man undefiled by sin lived not by nature alone, but rather that he was happy by grace, then will it be possible for a life according  to  nature to  be good  enough,  when defiled  by  sin  and  not regenerated  by  grace? Will some one point in approbation of the life of nature, to the saying of the Apostle, that “the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law?” [Rom. ii. 14.] To such a one I say, art thou then satisfied but to equal the Gentiles in worthiness of life?  Not so did our LORD judge when He said in reproach of imperfect life, do not even the Gentiles so?” [S. Matth. v. 47.  In the English Bible we read publicans instead of Gentiles, but we preserve as everywhere else the Slavonic text.] He taught by this, that it is not sufficient for His follower for a perfect man to live according to nature like the Gentiles.

     To be able to determine the significance and worth of natural life, it is necessary to glance on the place it occupies in the kingdom of GOD and CHRIST.  Although this kingdom is boundless and immeasurable to us, yet, as in every well ordained realm, we may observe some division in its composition, answering the ends of its government; thus the divines have not erroneously observed in the universal kingdom of GOD and CHRIST, three contiguous kingdoms,—the kingdom <316> of nature, the kingdom of grace, the kingdom of glory.  The entrance into  the kingdom of nature is opened  to  man  by  his natural birth,  that into  the kingdom of grace by  baptism, into  the kingdom of glory  it shall be opened  by  the resurrection  of the dead  and  by  the last judgment.  The kingdom of glory borders upon the kingdom of grace, and only through the latter lies the way into the kingdom of glory from the kingdom of nature.  And consequently he who lives but according to nature is separated by a whole kingdom from the blessed one of glory.  And therefore when at the last day the whole kingdom of grace shall be completely merged into the kingdom of glory, “the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up;” [2 S. Pet. iii. 10.] where then  shall remain  that  life  by  nature  devoid  of  grace,  if  not  in the lower regions? 

     My  brethren,  partakers  of  the  gifts  and  promises  of grace,  let  us  not  be  careless  of  divine  grace.  Let  us seek  it  by  the  acknowledgment  and  confession  of  our infirmities  and  sinfulness,  by  prayer  and  the  study  of the  Word  of  GOD,  by  the  communion  of  the  sacraments of faith, by a sincere desire to live according to the  commandments  of  CHRIST.  Let  us  receive  it  in faith  and  in  readiness  to  obey  its  inspirations; let  us preserve  it  by  faithfulness  and  constancy  in  following its  directions.  And grace itself shall be to us an invisible help in our struggles for its sake, and shall <317> crown them.  And in accordance with the Apostle's instructions, “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,” that we may obtain mercy, “and find grace to help in time of need;” [Heb. Iv. 16.] and according to the prophet's promise, “the LORD GOD will give grace and glory.” [Psalm lxxxiv. 11.] 

     Glory to the LORD GOD, the Giver of grace, the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST for ever.  Amen.