November 4

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.—Psalms 149:5.

I WOULD say somewhat important: listen very heedfully about the glory of the saints. For there is no one who loveth not glory. But the glory of fools, popular glory as it is called, hath snares to deceive, so that a man, influenced by the praises of vain men, shall be willing to live in such fashion as to be spoken of by men, whosoever they be, in whatsoever way. Hence it is that men, rendered mad, and puffed up with pride, empty within, without swollen, are willing ever to ruin their fortunes by bestowing them on stage-players, actors, men who fight with wild beasts, charioteers. What sums they give, what sums they spend! They lavish the powers not only of their patrimony, but of their minds too. They scorn the poor, because the people shouteth not that the poor should be given to, but the people do shout that the fighter with wild beasts be given to. When then no shout is raised to them, they refuse to spend; when madmen shout to them, they are mad too: nay, all are mad, both performer, and spectator, and the giver. This mad glory is blamed by the Lord, is offensive in the eyes of the Almighty. And yet, my brethren, Christ thus reproacheth his people, and saith, "I have not received at your hands as much as they who fight with wild beasts: and in giving to them, ye gave what was mine; but I was naked, and ye clothed me not. Then say they, When saw we thee naked, and clothed thee not? And he saith, Forasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of mine, ye have not done it unto me. But thou choosest to clothe him, who pleaseth thee, whereas Christ displeaseth thee. Thou choosest to clothe the fighter with wild beasts, who may be beaten, and make thee blush: Christ is never conquered; he hath conquered the devil, he hath conquered for thee, and to thee, and in thee; such a conqueror is this thou choosest not to clothe. Wherefore? Because there is less shouting, less madness about it. They then who delight in such glory, have an empty conscience. Just as they drain their chests, to send garments as presents, so do they empty their conscience, so as to have nothing precious therein.

But the saints who exult in glory, no need is there for us to say how they exult: just hear the verse of the psalm which followeth: Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds: not in theatres, or amphitheatres, or circuses, or follies, or market-places, but in their beds. What is, in their beds! In their hearts. Hear the Apostle Paul exulting in his bed: For this is our glory, the testimony of our conscience. On the other hand, there is reason to fear lest any be pleasing to himself, and so seem to be proud, and boast of his conscience. For every one ought to exult with fear, for that wherein he exulteth is God's gift, not his own desert. For there be many that please themselves, and think themselves righteous; and there is another passage which goeth against them, which saith, Who shall boast that he hath a clean heart, and that he is pure from sin? There is then, so to speak, a limit to glorying in our conscience, namely, to know that thy faith is sincere, thy hope sure, thy love without dissimulation. But since there are still many things which may offend the eyes of God, praise God who has given what thou hast; so shall he perfect what he hath given. Wherefore when he had said, they shall rejoice in their beds, lest they should seem as it were self-satisfied, he added at once, verse 6, the exultations of God are in their mouths. In such wise shall they rejoice upon their beds, as not to attribute to themselves that they are good, but praise him from whom they have what they are, by whom they are called to attain to what they are not, and from whom they hope for perfection, to whom they give thanks, because he hath begun. The exultations of God are in their mouths. Now behold the saints, behold their glory, behold throughout the whole world, behold that the exultations of God are in their mouths.