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 {493}
'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 {495} 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 {497} 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
{499} 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 {501} 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.
* * * * *
{502} III. K[=AL]. OCTOB.