SERMON XVII.
[Preached on All Saints’ Day, May 28, 1812, on his first visit, as Archbishop of Moscow, to the distant town of Kolomna where he was born and lived till his entering the Seminary of Troïtas.]
THE LOVE OF GOD AND CHRIST THE CHIEF DUTY
OF A CHRISTIAN.
All Saints Day.
“He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” – S. Matin. x. 37.
By the inscrutable decree of GOD, finding himself again in the midst of this town, in which I was ordained first to behold the light, and away from which I had been so far drawn by the flow of events that I hardly dared to hope to see it again, -beyond expectation, finding myself again in the midst of my brethren and neighbours, in whose society I received the first sweet sensations of life, -I long to yield myself wholly to the impulse of my love towards my native town, -a love, which, as says a certain native of Jerusalem, the children of Jerusalem “took pleasure in her stones, <192> and favoured the dust thereof,” [Ps. cii. 14.] That is, even the stones of the native town are beloved by them, and dear the very dust of its highways. My heart would fain sing unto this town the song which they sang unto their own Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy places. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.” [Ps. cxxii. 6-8] But what do I hear? This sweet song is cut short by the stern voice of the commandment of CHRIST, which, as if with a special purpose, is now calling to me from the midst of the temple, “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” What then am I to do? I will take up another song of the Psalmist of Israel: “Truly my soul waiteth upon God.” [Ps. lxii. 1.] I will subdue my love to my kindred and neighbours; I will subject it to the love of GOD and CHRIST; “I will also forget mine own people, and my father’s house;” [Ps. xlv. 10.] and I will strive to remember the LORD’S people alone and the house of my heavenly FATHER. In this frame of mind, I may even continue the interrupted song of Jerusalem: “Because of the house of the LORD our GOD I will seek thy good.” [Ps. cxxii. 9] O city, beloved of GOD! For the sake of the holy Church, that is the <193> house of GOD, for the sake of her Orthodox children, who are GOD’s own people, I wish thee every good thing; and as I wish it because GOD, therefore do I wish thee also divine things, “the peace of GOD, which passeth all understanding,” [Philip. iv. 7.] “the faith that is the gift of GOD,” [Ephes. ii. 8.] and the love of GOD which “is shed abroad in your hearts by the HOLY GHOST.” [Rom. v. 5.] But I am not offending my brethren and companions by so hasty a renunciation of my love to my native town? You will soon perceive, my brethren, that there is nothing unjust in it. For I require from you no other disposition of heart, than that which I myself wish to have. If you wish to be worthy of the love of GOD and CHRIST, you must love GOD and CHRIST more than father and mother, more than brother and sister, more than all that is dear to you. “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
When following the Gospel, I announce unto you the sacred duty of loving GOD and CHRIST above all: it does not mean, that I fear to find in any one of my auditors this direct enmity towards GOD and CHRIST. There are indeed men so inclined, to whom the Apostle speaks “even weeping,” [Philip. iii. 18.] and whom I remember with horror, “the enemies of the cross of CHRIST,” who will neither subject their mind to His faith, nor <194> their heart to His law, and who say along with the rebels described in the parable: “We will not have this man to reign over us!” [S. Luke xix. 14.] But I doubt not, that in contradiction to such, every one of the faithful will be seized with the zeal of the Apostle, and with him will not hesitate to reject them with the whole power of the soul, “If any man love not the LORD JESUS CHRIST, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha.” [1 Cor. xvi. 22.]
There is another clan of men among the very believers of CHRIST, and among those who acknowledge the authority of the law of GOD over them, who dread the thought of ranking themselves as the enemies of GOD and CHRIST, and consequently do not attain the perfect bliss contained in that love. They are aware of their duty to believe, -to accept with the submission of their own mind, the mysteries, which the word of GOD reveals, because the human mind, limited and corrupted, cannot comprehend that divine wisdom, so perfect and infinite; they accept the duty to live under the law of God, -to serve the true GOD by a certain form of worship, and not to wrong their neighbour by rapine, thefts and similar acts of injustice. They feel it to be their duty to present the offering of repentance, to accuse themselves before GOD of their sins, in the hope of forgiveness for the sake of Him, Whom GOD “hath made to be sin for us, Who knew <195> no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him.” [2 Cor v. 21.] They acknowledge the duty of prayer, of invoking the name of GOD, to bring down upon themselves the blessing and redeeming power GOD; they are struck by the fear of divine justice, when they see themselves transgressing some one of these duties; and when they think they have fulfilled them, they quiet themselves with the hope of the heavenly kingdom, as a reward deserved by them. Is it not true, that for some, and perhaps for many Christians, therein consists their whole godliness, so that it does not even occur to them, that there remains something more to do beyond this. No, this is not yet all, my brethren; there remains much more after this, -so much, that without the reminder, all the rest will not lead you to your true aim, -that is, to your eternal salvation. However high the ladder of your virtues may reach, it will not land you in heaven; and, beware, it may miserably break down with you, if it is wanting in the last step, which alone strongly and firmly rests in heaven. Ask your heart if it loves Him, Whose faith and law it acknowledges, to Whom it offers repentance and prayer: do you really feel that “the love of GOD is shed abroad in your hearts by the HOLY GHOST,” [Rom. v. 5.] in like manner as you really feel a child’s, a parent’s, or a brother’s love, flowing into your heart at the sight of your parents, children and brethren? If your conscience and spirit do not certify <196> to you, that you really and vividly experience in your innermost heart that divine effusion of love to GOD; then you must diligently learn that love from the One divine Teacher Jesus Christ. “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Thou believest, and hopest to be saved by faith. I do not dispute this hope in thee. The Saviour Himself makes salvation to be the lot of faith. “Thy faith hath made thee whole,” [S. Matth. ix. 22.] has He often said to those, over whom He worked miraculous cures. And to all without exception He has promised that, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” [S. Mark xvi. 16.] But, is every faith alike? Is there no difference between one faith and another faith? What kind of faith for instance, is that, which the Apostle commends with such terrible praise, when he says: “Thou believest that there is one GOD, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.” [S. James ii. 19] Who can be satisfied with such a faith? What then is that faith which is able to save men? “Faith which worketh by love,” [Gal. v. 6] the Apostle defines. If there is no love, than faith has neither power nor result, and will not attain salvation. Faith without love is a form without life; love is the breath of the HOLY GHOST, quickens faith and renders it active and saving. If thou wilt <197> be saved by faith, learn to love Him in Whom thou believest.
Thou livest according to the law. In this already there appears to be some love; for the Great Teacher of divine love Himself has said: “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.” [S. John xiv. 21] But ponder and truly understand what the Truth itself tells thee. As love is properly a feeling of the heart; and as the Teacher that searcheth the heart foresees, that some of His weak disciples will think, that this feeling may be preserved even without the aid of a practice in accordance with it; He therefore cautions us against a perversion of true love into a false one, and teaching us “to love indeed and in truth,” [S. John iii. 18] He says: “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.” And it would have been impossible for the Master, Who was full of love, to say that it was sufficient for His disciples outwardly only to fulfil the works of His law, and that this would be imputed to them in the stead of love, even although they might not have felt it: in like manner, as it is not natural that a loving parent should say to his children, that he allows them not to love him, if only they will do what he bids them. And what is the keeping of the commandments without love? Who is so ignorant of himself, or so insincere, as not to acknowledge, that he sometimes, and in some way, transgresses the law? If then the edifice of personal <198> righteousness, built on the foundation of the law, has its weak points: then the thunder of the curse of the law will come down, and with one peal destroy the whole structure: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” [Gal. iii. 10.] And still more strongly: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” [S. James. ii. 10] Where then is salvation in keeping the commandments? It exists, but only for those who fulfil them not in the letter, but in the spirit, and the spirit of the law is love. Do you wish to avoid the curse of the law? Do you wish to possess the best and surest means of fulfilling the law? The best and surest of means is love. “He that loveth another,” says the Apostle, “hath fulfilled the law, for love is the fulfilling of the law.” [Rom xiii. 8, 10.] But this does not mean that love allows us to leave the law without fulfillment: no. It is itself the fulfillment of the law, because it is its very soul, and the soul quickens and moves the whole body; so does love grant strength to him who fulfils the law, and renders the very commandments easy of fulfillment. Does the son who runs to meet a beloved parent, -does he feel the fatigue of the journey? Thus the sons of GOD, men who love GOD, do not weary of any work whatever, during the journey of their life, when hastening towards the eternal habitations, where <199> they hope to behold the FATHER, Whose parentage has granted them so high an estate, “to become sons of GOD,” [S. John i. 12.] and the love for Whom is stronger in them than every other earthly or heavenly love.
Thou repentest. And in this case thou art on the good path, for this path is laid down unto salvation, as it is said, “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” [2 Cor. vii. 10.] But mark even here the deep sense of Paul’s words, repentance not to be repented of, says he, that is, a repentance, after which man does not exchange his better thoughts for worse ones, does not return to his former sins, does not faint in his zeal to live according to the will of GOD, -such repentance leads to salvation. And here again, my brethren, do I require your own testimony for your own selves. Do we not observe in ourselves that the good resolutions made by us at the time of repentance, are in time shaken, sometimes fall to the ground, and that we, partly from carelessness, and partly notwithstanding a certain degree of care for our own amendment, fall into those same sins of which we have already repeatedly repented? What hope of salvation in repentance in such a case, if that repentance alone worketh salvation which is not repented of? And what are we to do with our spiritual diseases, when the medicine itself being too frequently used against the ever-recurring illness, loses its power? As an aid to the medicine, as well as a preventative against the <200> recurrence of illness, as an assistance to repentance, as well as a remedy against sin, the most efficacious means is the true love of Him, Who “desireth not the death of a sinner,” and Who even died for his redemption; true love, I say, for that is not love when a worthless son squanders his parent’s goods, trusting to his condescension; but that is love when an affectionate son uses carefully, even those things which are allowed him, anxious to preserve the good will of his beloved parent. The Gospel narrative offers us a striking instance of the saving power which true love gives to repentance. A woman known throughout the whole town as a sinner, approaches JESUS CHRIST, anoints His feet with ointment, washes them with her tears, wipes them with her hair, in short, manifests all the signs, though we hear from her lips no words of repentance; and He Whom the Jews in reproach, and Whom Christians in joy called “a friend of sinners,” [S. Matth. xi. 19.] absolves her, notwithstanding the multitude of her sins, “her sins which are many are forgiven.” But how was it that a repentance which had not as yet manifested itself by an open confession of sin could have already worked so perfectly? It worked by means of perfect love towards the Pardoner of sin. “Her sins,” says He, “which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.” [S. Luke vii. 47.]
Thou prayest! Who will not praise this spiritual exercise also? But let me ask again, How dost thou <201> pray? For there is a vain prayer, of which it is said, “This people draws nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain they do worship Me.” [S. Matth. xv. 8, 9.] What does it mean, to draw nigh unto GOD with one’s mouth, but to be far away from Him with one’s heart? To utter with the lips, or to receive in the ear from the lips of another, the words of prayer offered up to GOD, and not to unite therewith a heartfelt attention of a spiritual fervor, in short, to pray without love. It is not difficult to show the vanity of such a prayer even by simple reasoning, or by natural instinct. What does the child do, just beginning to reason, when it seeks to obtain a wished-for object from its father of mother? Does it not add to its prayers all those expressions of childish love and tenderness with which it is acquainted? And thus must we not confess ourselves still more unreasonable than children, when we expect by our cold supplications, pronounced without attention, or love, or warmth of heart, to obtain anything from our heavenly FATHER, Who looks straight into the heart, whereas “man looketh on the outward appearance?” [1 Sam. xvi. 7.] Shall we say that our heavenly FATHER is more merciful than earthly parents, and that therefore He will “give good things to them that ask Him?” True; but He is also more just than they, and therefore cannot give them to the unworthy; and on account of His very <202> goodness, cannot give good things to those who pray wrongly, lest they should defile the good itself. And certainly we pray wrongly when we pray unlovingly to the Most Merciful, and the Most Loving. But what more says the spiritual law? It shows that not only the exercise of prayer, but true and pure prayer itself is impossible without true and pure love. “For we know not,” teaches the Apostle, “what we shall pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of GOD.” And that none hearing this should remain in doubt as to how it is possible to acquire this high intercession, the Apostle immediately adds, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD.” [Rom. viii. 26-28.] The love of GOD turns everything into a means for our salvation and bliss, without it no means are able to attain that end. The lamp will not give light without oil; neither will prayer lighten the spirit without love. The smoke of the incense will not rise without fire, neither will a prayer without love ascend towards GOD.
What shall we say to those inducements to virtue which those who know not the power of love substitute for it, namely, the fear of judgement, and the hope of reward? They are necessary supports to those <203> who are building their spiritual edifice, but it is not on them that the sublimity and beauty of the spiritual building depends. He who works from fear as a slave, he who labours in the hope of reward is a hireling. “The servant,” (i.e., bondsman,) says JESUS CHRIST, “abideth not in the house for ever,” –we may add, nor does the hireling, -for it is but “the Son” that “abideth ever.” [S. John viii. 35.] “Fear hath torment,” says the beloved disciple, “he that feareth is not made perfect in love,” whereas “perfect love casteth out fear.” [1 S. John. iv. 18.] Another Apostle says to Christians, in opposition to the Jews, “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, FATHER.” [Rom viii. 15.] And thus the spirit of bondage, as well as the spirit of spiritual hire, is the lot of the Jews; but the lot of true Christians is the spirit of filial love towards GOD and the SAVIOUR. We may even say without contradicting the Apostle, that the true spirit even of the Old Testament was the spirit of love, if it had not been clothed in bondage by the stiff-neckedness of the Jews. I call to witness the very commandments of the Mosaic Law, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD.” writes he. I wonder the more at this law, when I compare it to the commandment concerning parents, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” What is this? We must honour <204> our father, and love GOD? But we generally love that which is nearer and more akin to us, and we honour that which is superior to us. Therefore it would have seemed more proper to require love towards a father, and honour to God. No, says Divine law, “Honour thy father,” and “Thou shalt love GOD.” As if it said this, it is natural in thee to love thy father even without a commandment to do so, as well as honour the great GOD. The commandment teaches thee that which it had been difficult for thee to understand without it; and thus thou must not only love thy father by nature, but also honour him according to the will of thy heavenly FATHER; thou must not only honour GOD as thou art inspired by thy nature and thy conscience, but thou must even venture to draw nearer unto Him, which thou hadst not dared to do without that law of grace, -love GOD as thy FATHER, call Him “GOD, the strength of thy heart, and thy portion for ever.” [Psalm lxxiii. 26.] O beloved commandment of love! How great a pity that thy power hath remained so long unknown, and that we have broken our teeth on the hard crust of the letter, and knew not how to taste of the sweet grain that lay inclosed therein. So long was this, that at the time when Love itself appeared upon earth, it found the commandment of love quite forgotten, and preached it as a new one. “A new commandment I gave unto you, That ye love;” [S. John xiii. 34.] “As the FATHER <205> hath loved Me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love.” [S. John xv. 9.]
Christians, GOD draws us in to His love by more than a mere commandment, or an imperative manifestation of His will; He knows better than we that love is not acquired by commandments alone. He seeketh the love of us, sinners and unworthy beings, by His own holy and supreme love. “For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [S. John iii. 16.] Is it necessary to command us or to teach us to love Him, Who died to acquire eternal life for us? If we feel that we should offend our father by loving his servants more than himself; how can we not feel that we offend our heavenly FATHER when our heart opens and adheres to men, all of whom are hardly worthy to be called His servants, more easily and more closely, than to Him? Let us strive to become worthy of Him. Let us say to our heart, We do not take thee away from our parents, kinsfolk, and neighbours, but we surrender thee together with them unto the GOD of our heart for ever. Amen.
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